Nights of Surprises
by Macko-M
Summary: The vampire Juan is new to Miami, and he is planning to build an etablissement here, whatever the cost may be. A story with a comparably slow start, but surprising turns used to be a work in progress based on role playing, and is now finished.
1. Chapter 1

**Nights of Surprises**

**A Vampire Story**

_**By Macko**_

_(in co-production with __**dalpal **__and __**ElenaC**_

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_Disclaimer _

_This is an original story, playing in a world where vampires, ghosts and the like are as real as any other beings. We highly appreciated what White Wolf created, yet we preferred to let our characters move in our own universe, and thus made some slight changes in order to accommodate. If you are a fan of the WoD, however, this should not keep you from reading it: You will find quite a few parallels._

_This work, based on a role playing game, is now finished, as we decided to end our game. It lasted over a year of intense and heartfelt cooperation. _

_Reviews are highly appreciated. Thank you._

_All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, stored/archived in a retrieval system other than this one here, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the authors._

_**Warnings**__: This story contains male/male sex, violence and sucking of blood and other bodily liquids. If this kind of thing offends you, don't read this story._

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Chapter 1

"Yes, of course I will be patient," Juan said into the ivory receiver of his old-fashioned phone, ignoring the fact that the guy at the other end was talking to him in Spanish; the guy who seemed unaware that, apart from a slight French-Spanish accent, Juan's voice was just a little bit too polite for the occasion, and a bit tight around the edges, almost but only almost dripping venom. Well, well. The guy was only a tradesman, after all. Juan let him rattle on and walked to the vast window front of his huge pent house.

His condominium was located among the many other towering glass and steel mountains along Collins Avenue, and when Juan craned his neck, he could see the night traffic bustling through the eight lanes far down below. The Intracoastal Waterway to one side, the beach to the other, this apartment was situated just right. A thin smile formed on his lips for a moment, then he turned to listen again to the guy who cost him so much of his precious time.

Enough was enough. "_Cierra el culo_," he said, using the same soft tone of voice he had been talking in all the time. The guy shut up instantly. "Listen, my friend," Juan went on, his accent growing slightly stronger. "I have enough of your excuses. I want those faucets by tomorrow night, no matter what it takes you to get them. Do you understand?"

There was a shocked pause, then a hastened reply. "Of course, sir. Golden taps, swan shaped. We will do our very best, sir."

"Of course you will," Juan said, and without waiting for an answer he put the receiver down on the cradle again. He fumbled with one of his golden rings on his left hand, the one with the sparkling ruby, looked at it as if he saw it for the first time, then put it to his mouth and sucked at it, playing around his fingers with his tongue. He needed something, but he didn't know yet where to find it. This town was new to him; at least, the way it looked now.

The business meeting in Las Olas would be at midnight. They had told him that it would take him no more than half an hour to drive there, so that left quite some time for an excursion. But where to go? Juan let his eyes wander over the half-furnished apartment. Too late to make any other phone calls, and besides, he had probably terrorized his interior designer enough for today.

The walls were finished; the painters had done a hell of a job here, the better part of the pent house being one vast room only. One huge dark red brick wall at the one end, steel at the other, matching the steel shutters all around the apartment that would open and close automatically, controlled by sensitive light sensors all around the outer walls. Ebony and redwood panelling in-between. A fireplace, black, Victorian style. A huge round bedstead, silk covers, colours going from red to black covering the whole range of purples and violets. The stereo system, hidden in the ebony panels. For the other furniture… the tables and chairs were still missing, the pictures were missing, the whole damn atmosphere was missing…

He realized that he had pierced the insides of his right hand with his nails, and was just in time to prevent the brand new anthracite carpet from being stained with his own blood. Licking up the small rivulet along his palm, Juan went to the bathroom. The tasteful but ordinary steel taps stared at him, reminding him of the plumber's inability to get the new ones in time. He sucked at his palm a bit stronger, but the blood had already ceased to flow.

Black tiles, at least. Dark red towels. Tranquilo, hombre, he thought, tranquilo. You will get them tomorrow, and everything will be just fine. Having no golden faucets for one night won't be the end of the world. Besides, he tried to reassure himself, this could be just any hotel suite, and you didn't worry about the taps there. He washed his hands thoroughly, staring at his image in the mirror, and finally smiled, then raked his hair with his wet fingers, let his hands trail over his naked body and closed his eyes, exhaling, enjoying the feeling of his fingernails scratching over his skin. He forced his eyes open again, rummaged in the cabinet, found a pillbox and popped two of the little green capsules into his mouth. A shiver went through his body, and he knew the sensation was only short. He would need it to go through someone to enjoy the whole variety… Time to get dressed.

Thinking of this damn business meeting, he reluctantly pulled out the Gaultier suit, on second thoughts put it back again, choosing a simple black 200fbr one instead. No need to push the price by showing off. He picked out a satin shirt that dark red that it was almost black, a matching tie, and his favourite black El Canelo python boots, and got dressed.

As a final touch, Juan smoothed back his jet-black hair and fixed it in a ponytail with a golden barrette, then threw himself a kiss. "_Ojo al parche, guapo_," he said, grinning, rubbed his front teeth with his index finger and lifted his right eyebrow. "_Total_."

The elevator could only be operated with a single key from or to this apartment, a key he used to wear, together with a couple of other pendants, on a strong golden chain around his neck. Down at the condo's exquisite underground parking lot, he opened the door to a claret TransAm, sitting down in one swift and elegant movement. He pulled out of the parking space, enjoying the thrill of going just a bit too fast, and, heading for Arthur Godfrey Road, drove out into the night.

ooo

The fragrant breeze of a summer night drifted through the slit of the just slightly lowered tinted windowpane. Juan was about to accelerate when he was stopped in his tracks by a suddenly changing traffic light. He slammed the brakes, cursing under his breath, then looked around. The car behind him obviously knew the about the non-synchronized traffic lights hereabouts, and had stopped in time. He recognized only now that the broad Collins had changed into a crowded four-lane, and the traffic lights were as unruly as the street.

Impatiently, Juan watched an old man cross the street in his own time. The traffic lights jumped to green again while the man was mid-street, and Juan touched the gas pedal once, just to make him jump. Hurrying to the other side of the road, all the old man could do was mutter some curses and shake his fist in the direction of the car without being able to make out the driver's face, who was hidden behind a tinted screen.

Juan laughed softly and drove away from the scene with a racing start. He went on driving without feeling like driving any more. Somewhere nearby there had to be a bar, or similar; the city couldn't have changed that much over the decades. Finally, he found it, manoeuvred the car into Ocean Drive and came to a stop in front of one of those tiny hotels.

He opened the glove compartment and took out a small pillbox, slipped it into the right inside pocket of his suit. Out of habit, he checked the left inside pocket. The Punjab lasso was where it was supposed to be, coiled up and waiting for action; for a moment, he wondered when exactly he had put it there. Then he grabbed the cane epée (the walking stick that hid his rapier) and got out of the car.

Situated at one corner was a run down nightclub, called the Blue Cockatoo, and it looked as if it was waiting for somebody like Juan. He swiftly scanned the sidewalk for anything unusual, but all he could see was the mass of sidewalk cafés that would make rambling real fun at business hours. Then he entered the club.

ooo

The balmy southern air caressed the blonde as she walked down the street. Passing small sidewalk cafes, tiny jazz clubs and an assortment of other establishments, Jordana moved like she owned the city. Used to getting attention, she ignored the occasional remark thrown her way.

Reaching the corner, the girl turned in to one of the many nightclubs taking up residence along Ocean Drive. Any one who grew up in Miami knew this area attracted the tourist trade, and as she made her way farther into the club, Jordana could see the place was crowded tonight. 'Where better to hunt?' she thought, a smile beginning to curve her lips.

It wasn't hard to catch the eye of any number of male patrons, as she stalked toward the bar. The shirt she wore was made of a black sheer material, and the only thing keeping it from revealing all of her charms, since she wore nothing underneath, was the combination of vines and dark red roses embroidered over the front. It tucked into a short black velvet skirt, that left plenty of leg showing, and the high black stiletto heels gave her a couple of extra inches of height.

Sliding on to a stool at the end of the bar, the blonde ordered a drink before turning to watch the dance floor. It was amusing how danger could brush so close to these mortals, and they never even suspected. Instead they spent their nights in a frenzy of drinking and dancing, racing toward their mortality. Well at least the people that populated these types of places. And for Jordana that was just fine. Easy prey could be so much fun.

ooo

Only short time after Juan had heard the club door close behind him, he heard it open and shut once more, and judging from the stares of some guys next to the door, it must be a woman. He felt the familiar tingling sensation in his neck that told him he was being watched, but didn't turn yet. Instead, he walked to a table near the dance-floor and sat down with one elegant half turn. Then he looked up.

The woman who had entered the club almost behind him stood out like a lily from a marsh. She was tall, blonde and just too good-looking to be true. Juan stapled his fingers and leaned against them watching her with his mouth half open, and his eyes half closed. When she looked his way, he raised an eyebrow and smiled. The light movement of air caused by the closing door carried her scent to his sensitive nostrils. Perfect beauty, unexciting for him, and yet the best thing that could happen to him at a night like this, especially when it was a vampire, just like himself. He looked forward to finding out if she liked to play the way he did.

ooo

The awareness of an equal spirit tingled up Jordana's spine like a mild electric shock. And when she'd located his presence, looking straight at the dark haired man, he gave her a smile, lifting his eyebrow as if to say, 'Well?' However, instead of an answer she had coolly moved to a seat. But her gaze found it's way back, watching as the man leaned in to speak to the waiter.

It didn't come as a surprise when she'd been told the drink was on that same gentleman, and as her eyes moved back to his, the blonde gave him a smirk, raising the glass in a silent salute. Jordana wondered briefly whether it was a friendly gesture, or by chance a warning. Some vampires didn't like others in their hunting territory. Letting her eyes slide passed him, she decided to wait and see what his next move would be.

The blonde slid from her seat, and with a graceful sway of hips, moved past the man, and onto the dance floor, allowing herself to be swallowed up by the crowd. The faint scent of blood tantalized her hunger, but the young vampire kept herself under control for the time being, loosing herself in the throb of music instead.

ooo

When the blonde passed him, an image washed over Juan that told him she was young, but not unarmed. He wondered where on earth she could be hiding any weapon apart from the obvious and natural ones, but he closed his mind before he knew. So few surprises had there been in his un-life recently, he wanted Destiny to keep some of them up her sleeve. Moving with an easiness inherent in professional dancers, Juan slid from his chair and took part in the undulating crowd.

It was easy for Juan to force his way to her, just because he did not need to force it. The crowd actually tried to part, but the dance floor just was not big enough, which could have been funny, but did not really add to the effect. When he was close to the blonde, he started dancing with her without using his hands. He just joined her movements, almost imperceptibly taking the lead. And again, the right eyebrow rose.

"Un, dos tres… Boy or girl? Contigo no me importaría montar el número. Pick your choice, guapa," he said so softly that only the blonde could hear him. He had a slight Spanish accent. "Ah, boy, I presume." And with a smile Judas Iscariot would have been proud of, he picked out the handsome young Creole guy dancing next to Jordana, staring at him until he moved closer and came to dance between them. "Eso es," Juan whispered. "Now let us dance."

ooo

Once again the dark haired man made a move, this time moving effortlessly through the parting crowd. It was an impressive trick, but Jordana pretended not to notice, until he joined her movements.

"Un, dos tres… Boy or girl? Contigo no me importaría montar el número. Pick your choice, guapa," he said so softly that only the blonde could hear him. "Ah, boy, I presume."

Blue, almost Turquoise eyes flickered lazily over the man's exquisite clothes allowing a hint of curiosity to enter them as they returned to his own dark gaze. She was having a hard time reading his motive, but decided to play along, curious enough to find out... not only what he wanted, but who he was.

"Eso es...Now let us dance." He whispered, as a handsome mortal moved in between them and began emulating their own movements. With the barest nod of her head, Jordana answered, moving in against the human, to complete the threesome. His scent was tantalizing, and the blonde leaned in to nibble lightly on his neck, continuing the dance, all the while never taking her eyes off those of the other vampire.

After a moment, she lifted her head, a smile spreading across her lips. The young man seemed to be in a pleasurable daze, yet unharmed in any way, continued dancing, as she spoke to the dark haired man for the first time, "Does this little game have a purpose? Or are we just...enjoying what life has to offer?"

ooo

He had been looking forward to the moment when she started to follow, and indeed, she did so moving her faultless body in unison with the two men. Perfect. "A purpose, yes," Juan answered, locking his gaze with hers, laughing soundlessly. "And more than life has to offer." He continued the dance for some time, enjoying his and her scent and the revelation that it worked every time, but this time would be especially pleasant. No touching was involved, not yet. They would touch, later, and then she would know what to do.

When the song was over, Juan held up his hand as if to re-establish the mental link between the other guy and himself, then gestured to the table. "We should sit down, my dear," he said softly, looking at the blonde. "Watch and enjoy." He sat down, the Creole next to him. Without taking his eyes from the boy, he reached into his pocket and took out something small. The blonde might have sensed the slight whiff of chemistry that came from the pill in his hand. With one swift movement, he placed his hand over his own glass, emptying the content of the pill into the liquid, then held up the glass and offered it to the other guy.

"Drink, my friend. Let us enjoy what life has to offer. We will drink later…" Raising his right eyebrow together with an impish smile, he looked at the blonde and leaned back, waiting. It didn't take long. Less than a minute later, the Creole boy was more than hot, he was literally glowing. Juan leaned in towards Jordana. "I think we should leave, have a gulp of fresh air, maybe I can drive you two around a bit, what do you think, my dear?"

ooo

Jordana enjoyed the dance, but also kept an eye on the two men, or more accurately on the dark haired vampire. The human in his power was no threat. Then the song ended, the music changing, and he suggested they move back to his table. The blonde followed behind the others as the crowd parted for the man again. 'Handy trick,' she thought, taking a seat.

"Watch and enjoy."

Her gaze swung to him, watching as he removed something from inside his jacket. The faint smell of chemical's reached her nose, and she guessed he was drugging the drink he offered the human. "Drink, my friend. Let us enjoy what life has to offer. We will drink later…"

It didn't take long before the human began to show the effects of whatever had been in the drink. And Jordana's gaze moved back to the vampire, watching as he smirked, leaning in towards her, "I think we should leave, have a gulp of fresh air, maybe I can drive you two around a bit, what do you think, my dear?"

A charming smile curved Jordana's lips, before she spoke, "You want me to leave here with you... to drive around? And yet, we haven't even been introduced... How..." she smirked, "... do you know I'm not dangerous?" Jordana laughed, her eyes sparkling, as she waited for him to give his name.

ooo

She actually pretended to care about his well-being. It would be a fine game, indeed. Juan joined the laughter for a moment in a quite artificial way, as if he had forgotten how to do it right. In the twinkling of an eye he got serious again and answered her question. "I hope you are, dear."

At this, he leaned forward and took her hand. "May I take the liberty of introducing myself to you," he said, inhaling her scent and blowing a kiss on the back of her fingers without touching them with his lips. "Jacques Lavalle. Call me Juan."

He looked up from under his eyelashes and smiled. "And your precious name…?"

ooo

The dark haired vampire took Jordana's hand, and she listened as he introduced himself. "May I take the liberty of introducing myself to you... Jacques Lavalle. Call me Juan." He said it with a flourish, blowing a kiss at the held fingers, "And your precious name…?"

A coy tilt of her head, before dark lashes swept down over blue eyes, then back up to meet his. Jordana's lips curved slowly into a smile, "I'm Jordana," her eyes flickered to the human, then back to Juan. "So... what did you have in mind, tonight, Juan?" she asked, his name coming out softly at the end of the question.

If she had to gauge, she would guess Juan to be much older. Not only by the mind game he'd played with the young man, but the crowd. Did she fear leaving with him? No, not really. She was actually curious.

ooo

Those sparkling eyes were like emeralds, teasing Juan, enticing him so much that he almost forgot about his plans. He could have looked into them until cockcrow, for a moment he even played with the thought to do so, but of course, that wouldn't have helped for the future. Before he would drown, he blinked, slowly, looking up again and smiling like a child, awakened from a deep sleep.

"My plans?" he repeated, keeping his voice soft. "Ah, querida, why should I not tell you? I have a business dinner at midnight, hence I content myself with a light snack. This…," he pointed a finger at the now emptied glass, "… went in there," with an elegant looping, he pointed the same finger at the guy who was sitting between them, sweating. "And then it will go into us, and we will have fun." He leaned back with an utterly satisfied expression and a gleam in his eyes at first glance, but in fact paradoxically lacking any visible trace of excitement or anticipation.

He took his cane in one hand and with his other hand lightly brushed the boy's knee. Then he inhaled the scent. It was clear like the summer breeze, and it promised indeed some… fun. Waiting for Jordana to react, he fixed his gaze on her, careful to avoid any attempt to control her, for he wanted her to answer freely. What is more, his eyes told her that he would proceed, with or without her, and had merely made a generous offer.

ooo

Jordana listened silently, not quite with the stillness of the long dead, as Juan told her about his appointment at midnight, then continuing to the young man. Her eyes followed his hand as it gracefully gestured, then moved back to his face as he leaned back in his chair. The look of satisfaction didn't quite match the expression in his eyes, but the blonde couldn't yet figure out why.

Juan's hand moved across the human's knee, teasingly, but he really seemed to be awaiting Jordana's answer, as to whether to join them, and she could see it wouldn't change those plans no matter what she said.

With a casual shrug of her shoulder, Jordana spoke. "Well, since you have pressing business at midnight, it seems there's no time to waste." A smirk crossed her face, as she stood up from her chair, gracefully closing the distance. "Shall we?" she asked stopping to look down at Juan. Never once did Jordana's gaze flicker to the crowd around them, or even appear to notice the stares directed occasionally toward their table.

ooo

With a small but imperious gesture, Juan stood up from his chair and said, "Come." This time, the young man hesitated, as if his mind had just caught up with the proceedings. Juan smiled his enigmatic smile again; the one that wouldn't touch his eyes, and bent forward to whisper something to the boy. If Jordana pricked up her ears, she could hear that Juan did nothing more than promise him a very special kind of relief, involving her, and maybe more. This, together with a touch of mind control, seemed to do the trick nicely. The guy's eyes widened, and he got up quickly.

Taking the lead, Juan made for the door, lazily dropping a handful of dollars that would more than cover the bill on the counter while passing it. The barkeep made no remark; maybe he was even glad to see these strange customers leave. Walking to his car in silence, Juan scanned the sidewalk again, then opened the door to the TransAm and waited, raising his eyebrow, as usual. A glossy claret coat, with strangely sparkling metal particles that made it look like a huge overdone nail polish, covered the car. The seats were covered with leather, at first sight, but to a sensitive nose it would easily turn out to be, in fact, imitation leather, and what is more, it had snow leopard print all over, matching the lining. To the sensitive eye, the tinted glass of the car's windows was salvation.

Juan caught the look in Jordana's eyes, and with a shrug commented, "Easy to clean." Leaving the door to the back seat open, he elegantly slipped behind the steering wheel.

ooo

Jordana saw the young man hesitate, then watched as Juan whispered in his ear, most likely promising whatever the boy desired, because once again he was under the other vampire's control. She could have listened, but it didn't really matter, Jordana would only do what she wanted to do, regardless of whispered promises.

As Juan led the way out of the club, the blonde followed behind him and his new pet, the sway of her hips pulling more then one pair of eyes after her, as she took her time. And when she finally reached the sidewalk, Jordana's eyes moved over the car Juan stood beside. There was nothing subtle about the red TransAm, it screamed 'Look at me!' Jordana's eyes moved over the outside then through the open door, her eyes finally his, a smirk curling her mouth at the corners. "Easy to clean," he commented, moving to the drivers side.

"Mmmhmm," the girl answered, the smirk still in place, she turned watching as the human took the back seat, then slid into her own, closing the door firmly behind them. "Since it seems you have a plan, already, lead on, Juan, " Jordana chuckled, looking at the man in the drivers seat.

ooo

Driving the car smoothly out into the moving traffic, Juan looked into the rear mirror. He smiled when he saw that the human, who was highly aroused now, had started to fiddle about Jordana's skirt. Half closing his eyes, he gave an artificial laugh and stretched back his right hand to touch her ankle, ever so lightly. "Have fun here, guapa. Half of his is yours. I'll have my share later."

After some more minutes of driving and watching, Juan operated the cell phone installed in the car. He took no pains in using a headset, so the voice that rang out at the other end was clearly to be heard. It was the voice of a young woman, saying hello, boss. Without responding to her greeting, Juan asked her to fetch Sebastien, which she obviously did, for seconds later a male voice said: "Father."

Juan smirked and answered, "What's the name of the hotel you're dwelling at, Bastien?" The other one, who had called him father, told him. "Grover Cleveland," Juan repeated. "I think I know where it is. Get a room for me, we'll be there in no time." With this, he hung up. Further down South Beach he found the little hotel Sebastien had described, and pulled to the kerb in front of it. "Journey's end, for now," he said. "Want to go on playing upstairs?"

ooo

The car moved into the flow of traffic, and the blonde stretched out against her human companion. She felt the heat of his hand as it slid up her leg, and didn't stop him as with a hesitation he let the tips of his fingers move under the hem of her short skirt. Instead Jordana leaned in closer, her hand resting on his cheek, turning his gaze toward her. Her lips brushed against his ear as she asked, "What's your name, Darling?"

The human's skin was warm, and soft against the blonde's hands, and she rubbed her own cooler ones up his arms as she waited for his answer. 'It's Raphael...um Rafe,' his voice was husky with desire, one hand nearly under her skirt, and Jordana laughed, leaning in again to capture his mouth in a kiss, her fangs barely scraping along his lower lip so she got a taste of his blood. She felt Juan, who she hadn't forgotten about, touch her ankle, as he spoke, telling her to enjoy the boy.

Jordana's eyes met Juan's in the rear view mirror, a knowing smile creeping over her face, then turned back to Rafe, her lips trailing kisses down his face, stopping as she reached the large artery in his neck. Opening her mouth, the girl scraped her teeth against the spot, and then quickly bit into his flesh. She felt the moment of surprise, as the sharp pain hit, but in moments relaxed as pleasure erased pain. His arms were around her pulling her closer, a moan escaping his slack lips, ecstasy washing through his body as she drank.

The young vampire didn't take much, her ears picking up the conversation of Juan's phone call, as she licked the wound closed, pulling away. The car stopped, and Juan turned back to address those in the back, "Journey's end, for now, my dear... Want to go on playing upstairs?"

Jordana licked her lips, smiling at Juan, "Of course," then took Rafe's hand, "Come on, Rafe... that was only a taste of the fun we'll have." Her eyes hinted at things that had the young man eagerly following her from the car.

ooo

The sensation of an inner heat, an over-sensitivity of all senses going hand in hand with a high alertness and an extreme feeling of randiness seized hold of Jordana while drinking Rafe's blood. When she left the car, the boy rolled his eyes and almost didn't manage to climb out on his own, finally staggered to a drunken stance close to her. "I'm not that kind of guy," he managed to utter, his voice slurring. "Not with a man…" When Juan turned to look at him, though, Rafe simply shrugged and laughed nervously.

Upon entering the little hotel, they were addressed by a receptionist, a normal mortal by the looks of it, not even a servant. He looked a bit pale and extremely nervous, the way certain humans look when they have lost some blood, are slightly drunk and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Behind him, a tall slim man stepped out of the shadow, smoothing back his short black hair. He was Vampire, extremely good looking, and he simply ignored Jordana. "You're always so fast, father," he said, addressing Juan.

The addressee replied with a courteous nod. "Not too early, I hope, Bastien." His son smiled and turned to talk to the receptionist. "The key for Mr Lavalle, Timothy, please," he ordered. The receptionist put the key on the desk, breathing heavily. "Now, now," Sebastien said, putting his hand on Timothy's shoulder. "You should go a bit slow on the booze, and tell me more about your family, it's gonna be all right, I will help you." He pushed the key towards Juan while holding on to the receptionist, who swayed slightly.

"Thank you, Bastien," Juan replied, his hand lingering on Bastien's for a moment. It was not a gesture of affection, however, but Juan closed his eyes, as if reading his childe's thoughts, finally gave a curt nod, took the keys and turned to go. Bastien pulled his thin lips into the mock of a smile and ushered Timothy into the back room again, without so much as looking at Juan's guests.

"This way," Juan said, flashed Jordana a smile and took the now unresisting Rafe by the hand, taking the lead once more. On the way to their room, they met two girls and a boy, all of whom were outstandingly handsome and exquisitely dressed, and Juan stopped to exchange a few words with them. They called him "boss," and they were servants, all three of them. He talked to them quietly and not unkindly, almost caring, then quickly kissed them good-bye, excusing himself with a look at his guests. One of the girls winked at Jordana and giggled on her way out.

The room was obviously the best the small hotel could offer, and someone had done a good job in hurriedly clearing it for the surprise guests. The subtle scent of Sebastien lingered in the air. Juan closed and locked the door behind them, then, without hesitating, slowly undressed, underlining every movement with a word. "Art… is… the godhead… as… revealed… in… the works… of… man…, and… perfection… is… the godhead… as… revealed… in… man… himself…," his tone of voice had the quality of a melodious singsong, "hence… the bizarre… is… the epitome… of… beauty… as… revealed… in… the… Un-dead." He stood there naked, his marble skin glistening in the lamplight, and looked at Jordana with an expression of childish surprise. "I'm hungry."

ooo

It didn't fully hit until she'd stepped out of the car, but a languid heat spread through Jordana's veins, causing the blonde to almost purr aloud. She knew it was the effect of whatever drug Juan had slipped Rafe, and that her vampirism would burn it away in a much shorter time than the boy would recover.

Blue eyes followed the dark haired vampire as he headed into the lobby of the small hotel, and Jordana sauntered in behind her two companions, in time to see the exchange between Juan and his 'son'. She wasn't particularly interested in their conversation, instead moving in close to Rafe and taking his hand. Just in case he got cold feet again.

"This way," Juan turned toward the waiting pair and Jordana released the human's hand as the other vampire stepped up, taking the other one. She followed along, behind stopping when the three servants appeared, and as they moved away only raised a brow at the familiar way one of the girls winked at her.

Finally, with no more interruptions, they moved into the room, and as Jordana glanced around she heard the unmistakable sound of the lock. Slipping over to the bed, she sat on the end her eyes watching as Juan began undressing. The girl's gaze followed every movement, every dropped item of clothing, listening silently as his voice broke the silence of the room. And in moments the other vampire stood naked before them, in glorious pale perfection, his skin shining in the softly lit room.

"I'm hungry." The expression that crossed Juan's face, as his dark eyes met Jordana's, caused the young vampire to chuckle, suddenly. "Well..." she purred, her front teeth peeking out to bite her lower lip, "I'm sure Rafe here... can take care of that... He is delicious." Her hand moved suggestively up her leg, stopping at the hem of her skirt, as she watched the other vampire.

ooo

Rafe uttered a sound of protest when he saw Juan start undressing, but yielded to another controlling glance. Then, as if enchanted by the melodious talking, he just sat down on the bed next to Jordana, breathing heavily. "Don't you feel hot," Juan asked, approaching him. "You sure want to get rid of your clothes, too. It feels so much better without…" Rafe simply obeyed, looking at him like the proverbial rabbit in front of the snake.

And like a snake Juan crept up on him, pushing Rafe back onto the bed, then pierced the skin at the same spot where Jordana had bitten him, and drank, his body shivering with delight. Whatever reservations Rafe might have had, he didn't have them any more now, but instead gave a soft whimper and pressed his body against Juan's. For one blissful moment, they both moved in unison. Stopping himself abruptly, long before he was satiated, Juan let go of Rafe, who moaned from frustration and tried to hold on. Juan, however, hushed him like a child, licked the wound closed and turned to talk to Jordana, his eyes already showing the effect of the drug.

"That makes two of us undressed, three not completely satisfied," he breathed huskily, squatting over Rafe's legs, caressing them while he talked to Jordana. "So. I believe the field is ready for tilling, gatita." He smiled, lasciviously licking his front teeth, and with a sidelong glance at Rafe added, "Anything I can do for you, Jordana?" He pronounced her name Spanish, making it sound adequately lewd.

The girl's eyes slid from Juan as he moved toward the bed, over to Rafe. She smelled his fear, laced with desire, when the sound of protest came from him, only to be silenced by the dark haired vampire with a look. And a predatory smile crept over Jordana's lips when at the suggestion, the human began ripping his clothing away like he couldn't get them off fast enough.

She was the perfect voyeur, watching from the end of the bed, close enough to touch the men, as Juan all but consumed the boy in his embrace. The scent of passion, desire, and blood almost overwhelmed her, as the drug pounded through her veins. And Jordana had to fight to keep herself still, where she sat, only watching, when she really wanted to crawl up among the pair and join in.

Juan pulled away, turning to give Jordana a heated look, "That makes two of us undressed, three not completely satisfied...So. I believe the field is ready for tilling, gatita...Anything I can do for you, Jordana?"

The way he said her name, brought vivid images of wicked things to the blonde's mind. With a smile she stood up, her hands running up the front of her shirt, stopping at the top button. Slowly Jordana began to unbutton her blouse, letting it slip off her shoulders, and eventually to the floor. Next, her fingers moved to the waist of her skirt, unfastening it and letting it join the other garment at her feet. She stood facing Juan, a mere scrap of lace panties, thigh high stockings, and high heel shoes her only apparel. "Surprise me," she said, her voice husky, her skin on fire with desire.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_For disclaimer please see Chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 2

When she started undressing, Juan looked up and chuckled. She was young, but not inexperienced, by the look of it. He would have felt the same, had she discarded of her clothes just like that. For Rafe, though, it obviously was in fact the epitome of beauty, and the scent of his desire was intoxicating.

"Surprise you, yes," Juan repeated, his voice intoning in the same singsong fashion again. "I love surprises." He looked at Rafe, who had risen up at the sight Jordana offered, and winked an eye, exaggerating the gesture like a bad actor, then laughing at Rafe's expression. "Raphael, my dear. You are just what the lady needs. Why not share with me what Art and Perfection have to offer?"

He took Jordana by the hands and pulled her down on the bed, then instructed Rafe to hold on to her. He did this smiling, for he knew that no mortal would be able to keep hold of her, had she not wanted him to do so. Then he straddled over her and bent down to rip away with his teeth the delicate piece of cloth that had stayed as a last and fragile obstacle. Returning to the triangle that had been covered by the lace, he grazed her most sensitive spot with a canine, thus inflicting a sudden and delightful pain, and immediately soothed it with his tongue. After teasing her like this for a while, he addressed Rafe once more. "Take her now, Raphael. She's all yours…" And pulling himself up until he lay by her side, he brushed her ear with his lips and added, "And he's mine."

ooo

Jordana's eyes moved over the pair on the bed, taking in the chuckle as Juan answered her, "Surprise you, yes...I love surprises." then to the darker skinned Creole, watching her with avid interest. "Raphael, my dear. You are just what the lady needs. Why not share with me what Art and Perfection have to offer?" Her eyes met and held the human's, listening with a growing smile as Juan continued to fan the boy's desire.

When he leaned over the foot of the bed taking the blonde's hands, she let the other vampire pull her forward, slipping out of the heels, as she fell to the bed. Jordana's lips parted but she stayed silent as he instructed Rafe to hold her down, knowing it was only for the boy's benefit. He knelt behind her, solid hands holding her upper arms captive, and for a moment Jordana wondered what he'd do if she pretended to struggle.

The thought, however escaped her as Juan swept down tearing the lace panties away. Her long, soft hair pooled against Rafe's naked thighs, as Jordana let her head drop back in his lap, forgetting everything else as she rode the fine line between pain and pleasure, the dark haired vampire administered. Hearing a moan, the girl realized it was coming from her own parted lips.

"Take her now, Raphael. She's all yours…" Jordana heard Juan instruct, then felt him slide up beside her, his lips brushing against the sensitive shell, causing a shiver to run over her skin, "And he's mine." Turning lust filled eyes to his dark gaze, Jordana licked her lips, a knowing smile passing between them.

The bed dipped as the human, his mind still clouded by the combination of the drug, and the control Juan had over his mind, pressed his warm body over the blonde vampire, sliding in as she pulled him closer. Jordana's arms threaded around the boy, hearing him groan close to her other ear. His lips moved over her ultra sensitive skin seeking her mouth, then kissing her passionately. The girl felt her other companion move, and couldn't help the smirk, as her arms tightened around the man moving in her. This was going to be a night Rafe would never forget.

And maybe one she wouldn't forget, either.

ooo

When Juan occupied himself with some helpful application as if it was the most natural thing in the world, realization dawned on Rafe, through all the layers of lust and drug, that something could just be a bit wrong here. The next movement of the blonde beneath him, though, blew his second thoughts away again. He also realized that her arms were pretty strong, but at the moment it was only a fact that turned him on even more.

Juan could hardly tear himself away from the sight. It was a piece of art, the dark body moving over the fair one, glistening in the pale lamplight. However, when he saw Jordana smile at him, he broke free from his reverie and set to work, impaling the impaler. It was not the touch itself that sent shivers down his spine; it was the fact that he hurt Rafe, and felt him squirm, and knew that the pain mingled with white hot ecstasy, far more than the boy had ever experienced before. He moved with the rhythm of the other two, let himself get carried away by the dance of desire. But it was not enough. Enjoy he did, feel he did not.

"Hurt me," he whispered over Rafe's shoulder, looking at Jordana with an almost pleading expression. "Hurt me very much." Again, Rafe gave a weak moan of protest, but it sounded more like from a distant dream, and he wasn't sure any more if he ever wanted to awake from it. The sound of the waves of passion, threatening and at the same time tempting, were ringing loudly in his ears, and he knew they were about to consume all three of them.

ooo

The very human young man began to struggle as Juan moved in behind him, and Jordana's arms tightened a bit more holding him to her. "Relax, Rafe," she whispered in his ear, "Don't fight the pain, or it'll own you. Let it flow away, and I promise... the pleasure will be even better." She saw the confused look in his eyes, but as she moved, the dark irises rolled back just a little behind the lids, and a groan escaped his parted lips.

Blue eyes moved from Rafe's face to that of Juan, over his shoulder. "Hurt me," he whispered, his eyes pleading as they bore into hers. "Hurt me very much." There wasn't much Jordana could do from her position, but her arms unlocked from around the boy, and crawled up the vampire's arms. When she reached his shoulders, the girl's nails, dug into his back, scoring the flesh deep and slow, giving him some of the pain he begged for.

The coppery scent of blood blossomed in the air around them, and a sweet ache began to build in Jordana. Her gaze flickered to Rafe, seeing that he was almost lost, his face sweaty, eyes closed as moans escaped his slack mouth. Then the blonde's sight returned to the other vampire, her hands now tracing sharp nails down his arms, leaving thin red trails in their wake. "Feel the pain, Juan... let yourself go." Her voice was husky as she herself rode the edge.

ooo

The first waves of a sensation astoundingly close to pain reached his consciousness when Jordana arrived at his arms. Without losing his rhythm, Juan concentrated on that, and moved a bit more between her hands, trying to surf on those precious little waves. The supporting effect of the drug, though, was already fading away, spoiling his plans. He looked back into Jordana's face through his eyelashes, snarling.

He could have enjoyed it just the way it was, pretending that he felt more, like they were used to do at "work". But the way she inflicted those wounds on his back, the way she looked at him in an almost caring, loving way, made him long to feel more, to be with her at this one precious moment, and, surprisingly, also with Rafe. The discovery of these new emotions made Juan widen his eyes with surprise.

"Not enough," he managed to whisper, and then he plunged his teeth into Rafe's shoulder for another "shot." The human bucked under the new and sudden pain, but had long given up to fight any more. Without missing a beat, Juan licked the wound closed and talked to Rafe, soothingly, not noticing that he talked in Spanish. His voice was stilled when the warm blood filled his body again, and now he could feel the all-consuming heat, then suddenly the pain from his back and his arms, and with an almost singing moan he let go.

ooo

Watching Juan's face as her nails raked against his arms, digging into his biceps, Jordana saw the snarl that curled his lips. "Not enough," he whispered, his face turning away. The faint scent of blood from his wounds was driving the blonde closer to the edge, and she watched as he leaned into Rafe biting his shoulder, a shudder running through her body as the human bucked against her.

The wound had barely opened when Juan was licking it closed again. And then the dark haired vampire did something unexpected, at least Jordana would think so later when she had time to think. He began soothing the boy, speaking softly, in Spanish, his voice a comforting murmur. The girl didn't understand most of the words, the other vampire said, but idea came through even without understanding.

Her eyes moved from the human face back to the pale beauty of the other vampire, and the brief flash of something in his eyes just before long dark lashes swept down over them. The moan that filled the hush of the room, took Jordana over with it, a liquid heat rushing through her body, as she tightened around Rafe. And as she rode the waves of pleasure, the girl felt the human shuddering against her, as he cried out.

ooo

Waves of pleasure they were indeed, and Juan did not only ride them, but drowned in them, too. He stayed there for quite a while and stopped only when he heard Rafe sobbing. Slowly coming to again, he realized that he could not recall the past minutes – if minutes they were, and remembering the date he had, he tried to surface as fast as possible. What is more, he knew that the human was not only exhausted by the drug and the strain and the blood loss, but would also be very much ashamed of what had been done to him. Shifting from behind to beside, Juan trailed his fingers along Rafe's shoulder and looked at Jordana with a mocking smile. The sentimental look in his eyes was gone.

"Poor, beautiful Raphael, so sad," Juan said, his voice like a purr, dripping with sarcasm. "_No te preocupes_, there's no need to be sad, _corazoncito_. Regard it as an achievement many people would be proud of. _Ojo al parche_, you are talented, wouldn't it be sad if you had not found out about it."

Rafe silently snuggled up to Jordana, as an answer to Juan's words, and hot tears dripped down on her skin. Juan turned to lie close to them, propped his head up on one hand, and rolled his eyes and sighed theatrically. He continued to talk, this time addressing Jordana. "You are fantastic, my dear. This could be the beginning of a wonderful… cooperation."

While talking, he raised his free wrist to his lips, slit the skin carelessly with a lower canine and sucked a bit of his own blood. Then he bent over Rafe, wiped away some of the tears and smiled, showing the tip of his tongue. When Rafe smiled back without thinking, Juan kissed him, long and deep. The human first revolted with what was left of his strength, then stopped fighting and looked at him in surprise. "See," Juan whispered gleefully. "Always helps."

Ignoring Rafe forthwith, Juan said: "Jordana, my dear. No one regrets this more than my humble self, but there is business to attend to. As I said, I have to be in Las Olas by midnight. And you, my precious, have the unique chance to accompany me there. I could not think of any bracelet more valuable than you, dear, around my arm, if you please." He lifted his eyebrow and half smiled. "The boy will stay here."

ooo

Falling boneless back to the bed, Jordana could have drifted on the pleasant haze for a while, but the sound of Rafe's sobs brought her back to the present. It seemed to have also brought Juan back to the surface, and the girl watched as he slid to the other side of the human, running fingers over the boy's shoulder. "Poor, beautiful Raphael, so sad...No te preocupes, there's no need to be sad, corazoncito. Regard it as an achievement many people would be proud of. Ojo al parche, you are talented, wouldn't it be sad if you had not found out about it."

The sarcasm in the vampire's voice wasn't lost on the blonde, and as Rafe sought refuge in her arms, she looked over his shoulder to the dark haired vampire, wondering which was the real Juan. The suave, sarcastic player, or the hint she'd seen of something else. Rafe's tears hit her bare skin, and the girl gave her vampire companion a quizzical look. Maybe she should have felt a bit of remorse for what they'd done to the human, but she really didn't...it could have been far worse. He wasn't really hurt.

Her eyes remained on Juan, and seeing the roll of his eyes almost made her chuckle. "You are fantastic, my dear. This could be the beginning of a wonderful… cooperation." The compliment did make her smile, watching as he pierced his wrist, then took some of the blood into his mouth. And Jordana watched, knowing as soon as he leaned in to Rafe what he planned, then watching as he subdued the young man.

It was a relief when Rafe calmed by the vampire blood, lay quietly back between them. Her gaze swept down watching as his eyes glazed over, then back at Juan as he began speaking, "Jordana, my dear. No one regrets this more than my humble self, but there is business to attend to. As I said, I have to be in Las Olas by midnight. And you, my precious, have the unique chance to accompany me there. I could not think of any bracelet more valuable than you, dear, around my arm, if you please...The boy will stay here."

Propping herself up on her elbow, Jordana turned towards him, "I don't usually play adornment, however..." reaching out the blonde ran the tip of a finger down one of the already healing cuts on his arm, "...you have been an entertaining host. And I am curious, so yes, I'll accompany you." Jordana leaned back down, giving Rafe a kiss on the cheek, but addressing Juan, "It's certainly a good idea to leave him here...to recover."

She sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed, and stood up stretching, before bending down to scoop up her discarded clothing. "How long do we have before we have to leave?" They reeked of sex, each other, and the human, and although humans wouldn't notice, any vampire would know what they'd been doing immediately, and Jordana was thinking about a shower.

ooo

"A good idea, indeed," Juan replied to her thoughts as if Jordana had spoken them aloud, but obviously didn't notice that she hadn't. "There's no need to hurry, and I would like to join you, _muñeca de porcelana_." He got up gracefully, his hand touching Rafe while he did so, and one more time, the strange melancholy expression cast a minute shadow over his eyes, then passed as quickly, leaving only the ever present mocking half-smile. Raphael was already sound asleep and probably engaged in some wild dreams.

For Juan, taking a shower wasn't a simple every-night activity only: he made it a ceremony. Every move, from entering the vast shower compartment (it wouldn't have done it justice to call it cubicle) to covering Jordana's body with lather, looked like the part of a choreography, rehearsed, and also performed for a long time, yet not entirely lacking the fascination of the premiere.

He obviously enjoyed her service in return, closed his eyes and even leaned in to kiss her, giving in to something he would have called sentimental tradition, had he given it a thought. However, Sebastien, who was suddenly standing in the middle of the bathroom, interrupted their tête-à-tête. Juan quickly took Jordana into his arms to insure against her acting rashly, and looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"

Sebastien bowed slightly, completely ignoring the circumstances. "It is time to leave, father. You're late again."

Juan remained standing like this for another moment, inhaling deeply, enjoying the rivulets of warm water that went down his and her spine. Then he hugged Jordana a bit closer, kissed her temple, and let her go. "I'm sorry, my dear, but Bastien is right," he said, stepping out of the shower. Sebastien had already produced a towel, and Juan willingly allowed him to do the drying-up, meanwhile going on to talk to the blonde. "We will have plenty of time to continue our foam games another night." And without turning towards Sebastien, he added. "Enough. Leave us now. I promise to hurry."

ooo

Jordana hadn't noticed that Juan read her thoughts, either, as she smiled back at him. Her eyes moved over his naked beauty, as he gracefully climbed from the bed, stopping briefly to check on Rafe, then crossing the room to join her.

The girl tossed her clothes to the counter, bending down to peel the silk stockings she still wore off, then entering the shower with her companion. "Oh, yes, this is much better," she sighed, as Juan's soapy hands moved over her skin. The effects of the drug had faded away, yet the sensuous feel of his hands stroking her skin felt just as good. Jordana's hands were also busy, returning stroke for stroke, her nails lightly scoring the man's flesh. And when he leaned in kissing her, the blonde reclined against him, forgetting that they had an appointment to keep.

It was Juan's' voice that brought her back to the present, stiffening as his arms pulled her close, but looked over her shoulder, at the new presence she felt. "It is time to leave, father. You're late again." the dispassionate voice cut through the quiet of the bathroom.

For a moment Juan didn't do anything, holding Jordana close, then with an intake of breath he kissed her temple, releasing the woman. "I'm sorry, my dear, but Bastien is right,"  
a hint of annoyance, and even a bit of regret flowed through the blonde, as she watched Juan step away and out of the shower.

Jordana turned away for a moment to turn off the flowing water, and when her sight returned to the men, Sebastien was drying his father, the indifferent look still hiding any emotions or thoughts he might be having. "We will have plenty of time to continue our foam games another night...Enough. Leave us now. I promise to hurry."

Watching the other man leave, Jordana didn't say anything until he was gone. She'd picked up her own towel, drying her body and hair with brusque movements, then paused to speak, "Is he always like that? Cold...and rude." It was the second time he'd totally ignored her, and Jordana didn't like being ignored. As she asked the question, she couldn't help but wonder what it took to erase the blank look from his face.

While she awaited her answer, the girl picked up the blouse, sliding it over her body and quickly buttoning it closed. Next came the short skirt, her fingers brushing against the thin blade hidden in the waistband, as it settled into place. A dainty foot came up to rest on the edge of the toilet, and the silk stocking slipped up her legs caressing the skin. She didn't need to look for the scrap of black lace, knowing it was ruined beyond wearing. A smile crept over her face, thinking of leaving it by Rafe's pillow as a reminder of a passionate night.

ooo

"Bastien?" Juan said over his shoulder while fetching his shirt, and buttoning it up continued, "Cold, yes, you could call it that, dear. He can be a bit… _agarrado_ at times. But rude? Ah, we have no secrets from each other. I do hope you didn't feel embarrassed." He went on dressing and smiled a thin smile, but it looked as if he didn't really mean it. In fact, there was a bond between the two men, a mutual dependence so strong that it sometimes drove him mad if anyone but dared censure. She was right, though. To the eye of the outsider, Sebastien was indeed rude. Juan closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, his features were soft. "My sons mean everything to me. Maybe I will tell you about it, some time."

They left Raphael in the room. Juan locked the door, but gave the key to Sebastien, who played the receptionist as long as Timothy was sleeping in the chair behind the counter. "To Howard, then," Juan said, nodding at his son, and hesitating again for a moment, as if they were having a silent exchange. Then Sebastien nodded back, and Juan led Jordana to his car. With an appreciative look at her legs, he grinned and placed his hand on her knee, caressing it while driving out onto the street. When he had joined the flowing traffic, he ran his fingers further up and under her skirt, then gave a laugh. "I forgot we had lacy casualties," he said, opened the glove compartment, took out a little flat box and flipped it into her lap. "Help yourself, if you want..." The box contained a black spare string.

More crossings, some stops, and finally Juan took a turn into an alley off Las Olas, heading for Broward. They were passing old stately residences built in an almost Victorian fashion, alternating with modern manor houses just as impressive, their huge glass windows glistening in the streetlight. Each mansion was set in its own parkland, holding a variety of exotic shrubs and immaculate emerald lawn, at least an acre of it per house. Juan swung off the road in front of one of them, a remarkable antebellum-style villa with a wide parking lot at one side, a driveway surrounding a fountain, and a white flight of steps adorned with Greek style pillars.

Three cars were parked there already, each of which cost a fortune. Juan pulled into a free space and switched the engine off, looking at Jordana. "What do you think? Is it a nice house? Shall we buy it?" He smiled his mocking smile again, raised his right eyebrow, as always. The next moment, a liveried lackey opened her door, waiting for Jordana to get out. He was a servant, his eyes fixed at some distant point, and his face a mask of played politeness.

Before he went towards the house, Juan held out his arm to Jordana, and when she took it, whispered. "My adornment, yes. But you're much more than that, my dear. Don't be afraid, I always have backup. But right now, you are my assurance." With this, he strode up the stairs. At the top of the flight, a Vampire, and very obviously on of the more powerful gangster bosses, was waiting for him, accompanied by two others. One of them was a brute, the other one, the one with the eye patch, seemed to be of nobler origin. They made one step back when Juan approached them, whereas Juan's host kept his stance.

"None of your mind games here, Mr Lavalle," he said, trying to sound friendly. "I am impressed." His eyes turned to Jordana. "And delighted…"

He made a move to kiss her hand, but Juan intervened, holding up his other hand as if to protect her. "None of your games, either, Howard," her companion said. "I'm here for business only, so let us just proceed, will you."

One of Howard's bodyguards, another vampire, snarled as if to attack Juan right there, but when Juan looked at him, he fell silent again. Howard shook his head, grinning a gold foil grin. "What did I tell you about not looking at him, Banks?" He turned to talk to Juan again. "The youngsters never learn. Do come in, then. The sooner we get the deal done…" He turned to walk in front of them, leaving the sentence unfinished.

ooo

Jordana had stalked across the room, slipping on her stiletto heels as she listened to Juan's answer to her query. Embarrassment at what the other man had walked in on, never crossed the blonds mind, however, anger at being treated no better then a servant, or for that matter a human, did. "My sons mean everything to me. Maybe I will tell you about it, some time," he said, finishing with his own clothes.

In minutes the pair were out the door, and stopping at the desk in the lobby, Juan gave Sebastien the key insuring Rafe wouldn't be disturbed. Jordana turned away as the two men took care of the exchange, not feeling like being ignored again, and waited until the dark haired man rejoined her, leading the way to his car.

This time Jordana took the passenger seat, and graced the driver with a smile as his fingers skimmed over her leg, then exploring farther as they made their way into traffic. "I forgot we had lacy casualties," he chuckled, removing his hand and reaching for the glove compartment. When the door popped open he reached in, pulling out a slim box, and dropped it in her lap, "Help yourself, if you want..."

Curiously Jordana opened the box, and drawing out the tiniest scrap of material by one finger, began to laugh. "I won't even ask why you have this..." she gave him a sidelong smirk, "but I'm guessing I'm not the first to lose that particular item of clothing at your hands...or err, teeth, as it may be." It wasn't easy to be graceful putting on the offered underwear in a moving car, but the blonde did a reasonable job, and then settled herself back into her seat, turning to watch the scenery out the window.

They headed into an area that Jordana had never been to. It wasn't someplace she'd ever have gone as a human, and even though her sire had left her well enough off after his death, she didn't have the wealth it took to live in the style of the mansions they were passing. And she couldn't help wondering what kind of business Juan might have, when the car pulled off the road and made it's way down a long drive, stopping beside several other cars. "What do you think? Is it a nice house? Shall we buy it?" Turning to look at Juan, Jordana couldn't tell by the mocking smile whether he was serious or not, but was stopped from having to reply when a servant stepped up to the car, opening her door.

Juan held his arm out for her, and Jordana moved over taking it, listening as he whispered, "My adornment, yes. But you're much more than that, my dear. Don't be afraid, I always have backup. But right now, you are my assurance." The blonde made an answering noise, halfway between a moan and a sigh, in her throat, staying close to her companion as they walked up the stairs.

Stopping they faced the waiting men at the top, and their host spoke, "None of your mind games here, Mr Lavalle...I am impressed...And delighted…" He made as if to reach for Jordana's hand, when Juan held up a hand, "None of your games, either, Howard...I'm here for business only, so let us just proceed, will you." Jordana gave the man a brilliant smile, leaning just a bit more on her companions arm, giving the impression she was Juan's. And when she heard the snarl, the girl stiffened slightly, turning her gaze to the bodyguard. She let the smile drop away, giving him an intense stare, watching as he fell silent. "What did I tell you about not looking at him, Banks?..."

Jordana played the perfect part, keeping the hint of a smirk on her lips as the pair followed their host. She was used to being stared at by the opposite sex, and could feel the eyes from the other men on her back, so she let her hips sway a bit more, teasingly, continuing to drape herself over Juan's arm. Her attention, however didn't match her body language, as she kept her senses alert for any other aggressive bodyguards.

ooo

They walked into a great hall, along a spacious passageway and through an open door into an office; or, to be precise, a room that posed as an office but did not entirely fit into its majestic surroundings. Other doors stood open, too, and made it obvious that this house had not been inhabited for a while: remnants of furniture here and there, carelessly covered with off-white sheets, made the impression even more dreary; all the precious interior that must once have made this house a hall of luxury had been removed. The floor was covered with dust and grime, betraying the house's external splendour. The air was musty with a tang of old blood.

The two bodyguards trailed behind their guests. When the bulky form of Howard disappeared in the provisional office, the one formerly addressed as Banks drew near Jordana and whispered in her ear, "How can you get mixed up with this flash Harry? You're worth better than that." Juan's whole body stiffened, and he slowly turned towards Banks. "You were saying?" He smiled his best.

At this moment, the other bodyguard appeared by Juan's side, snarling, his voice slurring, as if he had difficulties to form his words but forced them out nevertheless. "What do you mean, flash Harry? Do you want to spoil Howard's business even before it started, Banks? You are an imbecile." He winced, and for a moment his expression showed a strange mix of sympathy for his fellow creature and something else that forced him to take up the opposite attitude. Banks smirked. "You see where this gets you, Maynard. Mind your words, and think of your master…" And adequate retort would follow, and so forth. Juan just rolled his eyes and sighed theatrically.

While the two bodyguards went on with their personal quarrel, Juan looked at Jordana and his smile twisted into a broad grin while his arm held her even closer. "Could it be that there is a susurrus in these halls? Methinks, the old house is in urgent need of a lengthy… redevelopment." His eyes assumed a weary, indifferent look, and ignoring the still battling louts forthwith, he followed Howard into his office.

They sat down on the Spartan chairs in front of Howard's crude desk, while Howard was sitting behind it, shuffling important looking papers he had taken from a leather folder. Juan leaned back, taking in the atmosphere and showing clearly that he disapproved with what he saw. Then he slowly shook his head. "I really would like to know what you want for this barn of a place, _compadre_."

ooo

Jordana let her eyes slide around the room as they entered, noticing the neglect. And grit crunched under the soles of her shoes as the pair followed their host farther into the mansion. It was a shame that such a beautiful building had been forgotten and ignored for so long.

The man they followed disappeared in the open doorway ahead, giving the loud-mouthed bodyguard another opportunity to voice his opinion, "How can you get mixed up with this flash Harry? You're worth more better that," he growled close to her ear. Jordana turned a growl of her own softly reaching his ears, and a dangerous glitter in her eyes. However the pleasant smile remained, and before she could speak Juan asked, "You were saying?"

It was almost funny the way the other bodyguard began scolding Banks. And as he talked the man down, Jordana turned to look at her escort, seeing his smile returned it. "Could it be that there is a susurrus in these halls? Methinks, the old house is in urgent need of a lengthy… redevelopment," Juan said over the arguing pair, continuing after Howard. But just before the girl entered the next room, she turned back to the bodyguards, "You want to know why I'd be with a man like him? Because he's a mean mother fucker," her eyes still glittered with a hint of anger, but she purred the next words, "And...he's damn good in bed." With the last word she followed Juan into the makeshift office. They didn't need to know she and Juan had only met tonight.

Jordana swayed across the small space, seating herself gracefully in the chair next to her companion, listening silently as the men began to conduct their business.

ooo

Juan looked at her when she made the remark aimed at him, and laughed softly. "_De puta madre_, you're right," he said with a bemused glint in his eyes, before sitting down,. (…). "I really would like to know what you want for this barn of a place, _compadre_."

"5 million bucks," the rascal's guttural voice rang out. "2 paid in cash, and 3 paid in… kind." Howard placed his fleshy hands flat on the desk's surface and grinned with gloating self-satisfaction.

There was a pause. Then Juan's soft chuckle filled the room, he held his hand half in front of his mouth, renaissance style, then threw his head back, inhaling deeply, sighing when he looked at Howard again. "Howard, Howard," he said, still chuckling. "_Viejo verde. ¿Se está pasando conmigo, tío?_ You want to muck around with me? This barrack is hardly worth half of it. And you need to get rid of it, anyway."

And so they went on bargaining, Howard trying to push the price up, Juan trying to push it down. They used every move available to trick each other, and they were obviously enjoying themselves greatly. But in spite of the negotiation he was deeply engaged in, Juan did not ignore Jordana. Quite the reverse: Whenever possible, he looked at her, as if asking for her approval, or even her assent, taking her hand at something outrageous Howard said, as if to prevent her from jumping, then again, patting it as if to reassure her.

To the keen observer, it looked thus: It wasn't Juan buying the house, but instead he was only Jordana's negotiator. This did not escape Howard, either, who was ogling her all the time, anyway. And our keen observer might in consequence have asked himself the following question: Would Howard have concluded the treaty at a much higher price, had it not been for the beautiful lady he was actually dealing with? Said blonde and beautiful lady, though, was (as far as Juan could tell) the only one in this room who did not have a clue.

Whatever it was, the treaty was concluded at the price of 1,5 million dollars "in cash" and 2 millions "in kind." Concerning the latter, it is anyone's guess what exactly that would be, apart from the fact that words like "him" and "her," "exquisite, well-built and highly educated," as well as "dragon's breath" were falling. Looking at Jordana again, waiting for her to give her final consent, Juan took out a pen and made a move to sign the contract.

ooo

Jordana watched as the two men began negotiating, relaxing back in the chair. It surprised her that Juan didn't ignore her presence, instead drawing her in silently with little gestures here and there. And at first the blonde played along not sure of what was going on.

She did however, notice that Howard was staring lewdly from time to time at the features her sheer blouse offered. And if the man wanted a show...why stop there? Jordana almost laughed, as she crossed a leg, letting her skirt ride up enough to show the bare skin above her stocking, watching as he all but salivated for a moment before moving back to bargaining with Juan.

Suddenly as a much lower price was agreed on, Jordana understood Juan's manoeuvring. Had the scoundrel thought he was selling to a procurer, he would never have dropped the price, but thinking the true buyer was in fact the lady he admired, Howard had been a bit more reasonable.

Her eyes flickered to her companion, watching as he took out a pen, pausing as if waiting for her decision. The girl raised a brow, nodding for him to continue, "I'm not sure who got the better end of this deal," she said letting her eyes slide around the neglected room, "but let me be the first to congratulate you, Juan." Jordana met his eyes with a smirk, then looked toward Howard, as her companion signed the contract. "I'm sure this will make an adequate haven," Let the man think what he wanted.

ooo

"A haven?" Howard made a surprised face. "But this is not going to be a haven…" He looked from Jordana to Juan, and the first beams of recognition reached his mind. "You fucking son of a bitch." He snarled, rose from his chair with rage and half jumped on the desk.

Juan, however, just remained seated, watching him with childlike astonishment while folding up the contract, and whispered to Jordana, "Don't. Not yet." Then he focused on Howard again and dramatically wagged a finger in front of the man's angry face. "Tut, tut, my dear Howard. Calm down before you split a seam. " He looked at Jordana as if he had to apologize for their host. "What are you shouting about? Of course, a haven. What did you think I would turn this house into? A theatre?" He laughed artificially, leaning in towards Jordana as if Howard had just made a perfect joke.

It was a miracle to watch the way Howard managed to pull himself together. He almost folded up under the strain. Gnashing his teeth and still shaking with rage, he folded up his copy instead, then straightened to look at his guests. "Of course it's up to you what you're gonna turn this house into," he finally managed to utter. "I expect the money to be here by tomorrow midnight. And don't dare meddle with me again, Lavalle." Gulping down whatever he would have liked to add, he stiffly went towards the door and gestured them out.

Juan looked left and right, then gracefully got up from his chair, with a swerve extended his arm towards Jordana and escorted her to the door. Howard's two goons standing by the door, though, stepped in front of them, blocking their way out. For the first time, something like anger ran through Juan, electrifying him for a moment, before he was almost his own composed self again; at least outwardly. "Howard," he said, his melodious voice with an edge this time. "Call back your bloodhounds, will you. They are acting on reptile brains."

Miraculously, their boss called them back, and they obeyed reluctantly. Without turning, Juan whispered, "You will get your money in time. But don't think I'll ever make a deal with you again. You'll be sorry for that."

While they were walking towards the front door, they could hear Howard shouting after them, "You might not be able to, Lavalle! You'd better watch out!"

Again, Juan stiffened and said under his breath, "You don't have the money yet," but then continued to walk outside as if nothing had happened. When they reached the car, though (no lackey around this time), he let out a suppressed cry, then turned on Jordana and embraced her so fiercely, kissing her ferociously, that they lost their balance and plunged against the car boot.

ooo

"A haven? But this is not going to be a haven…" Jordana knew in an instant she'd said the wrong thing. "You fucking son of a bitch!" Howard growled just now realizing he'd been duped into lowering the price. Still sitting in the chair facing the desk the blonde watched as the man rose from his chair, rage sweeping over his features.

And when Jordana would have risen, she heard the whispered words from her companion, "Don't. Not yet." It had been a reasonable assumption on the girl's part, and now she didn't understand why the fellow was getting so angry. What other need could Juan have for the mansion. Her eyes swept to Juan, hearing his laughing comment, "What are you shouting about? Of course, a haven. What did you think I would turn this house into? A theatre?" and it confused her even more.

As Juan stood up from his chair, Jordana did the same, taking his arm when he extended it to her. They turned heading for the door only to be met by the same bodyguards from earlier. The blonde stared at the pair blocking their exit, giving them a haughty look that never wavered as her companion spoke over his shoulder, "Call back your bloodhounds, will you. They are acting on reptile brains." His voice was calm, but the blonde felt a flare of power wash over him.

By the time they reached the car, threats had been made and countered. Jordana was happy to see Juan's car in front of them, and would have hurried toward it if he hadn't still held her arm. With measured steps they crossed the drive, instead of getting in, Juan grabbed Jordana with a soft cry. Pulling her hard against him, he devoured her lips in a ferocious kiss. The pair lost their balance, leaning heavily against the car, lost for several moments in the fierce embrace. When they pulled apart Jordana spoke with a shaky voice, "I'm sorry..." she whispered, not wanting any eavesdroppers to hear the conversation, "I said the wrong thing...I didn't mean to ruin your business meeting. But I don't understand why Howard is so mad. The house is a wreck... why would he care what it's used for once he sells it?" Her arms were still locked around Juan, her body plastered against his hard chest.

ooo

Juan chuckled against her parted lips and answered: "It's okay, _guapa, _you did not ruin _anything_. I love it when they are mad at me. They always are… And you are right, my dear: It was a good bargain, and he knows that. But I had some fun, thanks to you!" He held her tight, grinding into her and smiling mischievously. "No, really, it won't be my haven. I already have one in the city."

At her questioning glance he laughed again, this time not artificially, but in a deep and melodious voice. "It will be for my employees," he exclaimed and leaned back, stretching over the bonnet like a cat, pulling Jordana with him. "You are my lucky star," he added, snarling jokingly, taking hold of her wrists. Then he flipped her on her back, landed on top of her, and enjoyed the ensuing struggle.

As suddenly as he had started, though, he grew serious again. Wiping a blonde strand from her forehead, he continued to caress her cheek for a moment, whispering, "Simplemente increíble! Tu eres una calientapollas... a little tigress. I could stand being with you for quite a while, Jordana..." And again, he pronounced her name Spanish, and his eyes had the sentimental glaze they had when they were in the shower.

He let go of her before another little black accessoire would come to harm, and pulled Jordana up from the car, catching her, this time not as part of a game, but with all seriousness he could summon up. Staring at her as if he was scanning her mind, he asked: "What is it you want, Jordana? Do you want it all? Do you want to stay with me for some time, see things you have never seen before? Do you want to feel what you really are, and what our unlife is about?"

* * *

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

_For disclaimer see Chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 3

Jordana was enjoying the feel of Juan's strong arms pressing her tightly against him. And she smiled back at his mischievous smirk as he told her it had been fun annoying the other man inside. She couldn't help the questioning look when he informed her however, this wasn't to be his haven. "It will be for my employees." Would that also include the cold Sebastien, she wondered briefly, until her companion distracted her by pulling her back with him farther onto the car.

"You are my lucky star," Juan growled rolling them over so he now lay on top as they playfully wrestled, unconcerned about any audience they might have watching from the house. Suddenly he stopped, and the blonde met his eyes, a serious expression entering them, "Simplemente increíble! Tu eres una calientapollas... a little tigress. I could stand being with you for quite a while, Jordana..."His voice was soft, and deep as he caressed her face, and although the girl didn't understand the Spanish, the sentiment was clear.

Juan pulled Jordana up from the car, but didn't let her go. Instead he searched her face, the serious expression still on his face, "What is it you want, Jordana? Do you want it all? Do you want to stay with me for some time, see things you have never seen before? Do you want to feel what you really are, and what our un-life is about?"

Had she been human her breath might have caught in her throat at his questions, because she could see he wasn't asking them lightly. Ever since Roderigo had died, Jordana had been alone, trying to exist as a Vampire caught half way between the living and the un-dead. Even she knew she was far too young and inexperienced to be without her Sire. But she was stubborn and had pushed ahead surviving because there was no other choice. "Yes, Juan I do want that...and everything else." Her hand came up under the back of his jacket caressing against the silky shirt, her own expression serious enough to match his own.

ooo

Holding her like this, he leaned into her touch, trying to read her thoughts, he could again feel how young she was, and also how very unlike most of the vampire girls he had met. This was perhaps due to the fact that she still did not know about her true abilities, simply because nobody had taught her. Which was strange. As far as Juan knew, some vampires were highly interested in drilling their children as much as possible, if only to protect their own and to maintain their fragile balance of power; in other words, to go sure that the kiddies would not try get at the older ones too soon.

But Jordana was different. For one thing, she seemed to be free from any commitment. True, she had the spirit of a street kid, but that of all things was what made Juan have her interests at heart. She, in contrast to other girls, would not shy away from his idea of "fun," and she could be of help in one or other of situations, and in exchange he would teach her some things she might never get to know without him. Finishing his stream of consciousness before the girl might get nervous, he made a resolution, and pressing his forehead against hers said, "That… and everything else. Good." He freed himself from her arms and got into the car. "Come." He did indeed feel like showing her an important part of his world tonight, and they were lucky that this special part of his world was close at hand right now.

They drove away from the city, into a rural area, where the swamp could be smelled and the rustling of trees could be heard. After they had been driving for twenty minutes, Juan swung from the road into seeming nothingness. There, in the middle of nowhere, was a small trail, almost invisible from the main road, and Juan moved the car along this path as if he had done so many times before. Hidden behind bushes and trees was a campsite; guitar music was blown across to their sensitive hearing, the smell of a campfire floating with it. There was a row of caravans, lit by torches, which formed something like a wall blocking the view to the actual camp. Juan stopped the car in front of it and, switching the engine off, said to Jordana. "Whatever may happen now, stay by my side. And try not to say anything, dear. I don't know yet which family it is, but… these people are… touchy."

As soon as they had got outside the car, a middle-aged woman appeared from one of the modern caravans, looking like someone from another century. She was holding a strangely ornamented rambling stick in her hand, was clad in several layers of multicoloured skirts of different length and a dark blue frilly blouse and had a dark blue piece of cloth loosely around her head. Her skin was lightly tanned, and her mass of curly black hair framed an almost Indian looking face. Juan took Jordana by the hand and approached the woman, then stopped in a polite distance and waited silently.

"What do you want?" The gypsy woman asked in broken English.

Now Juan bowed, if but slightly, and answered: _"Sastipes, she'enedre curaco.__Me som_ _storvandro_, I seek your shelter, _phei_. Would you ask your _rombaro_ if I and my _te'sorthene_ might join your _kumpa'nia_? Please regard us not as _mullos_, see us as _leshya'es_. We mean no harm."

The woman looked at him, raising her eyebrows in surprise, but did not change her almost hostile attitude, neither made she any move to come closer. "_Her'y?"_

Again, Juan bent his head, then looked at her with honest awe. "_Hai'sheli, chovihane! _I swear_." _He threw Jordana a nervous glance, repeating the word 'chovihane', ignorant of the fact that Jordana probably didn't understand what he was talking about. A long pause followed, in which the Chovihany scrutinized him, shaking her head. Then she suddenly gave a broad smile. "You are Juan, the dancer."

Juan bowed for a third time. "I am."

"_Kele." _Without another word, she turned to let them pass. She did not deign to look at Jordana.

"_Gestena_." Juan nodded gratefully and entered the camp, still leading Jordana by his hand. While they were walking to the small group that had congregated by the fireplace, Juan whispered, "She is a Chovihany, a wise woman from this clan here. I told her that we are wanderers, and that we mean no harm. She knows what we are, but I told her we are good spirits, not bad ones. I asked for the permission of their leader, but if she gives permission for us to take part, there will be no one else to stand up to her." He smiled, his eyes gleaming. "We are lucky, my dear, very lucky. This doesn't go so well at all times."

They sat down behind the men, and Juan again was very careful that he did not touch anyone, nor let his shadow fall on any of them. Pulling Jordana down next to him, he explained: "To those people, we both are _marimé_, that means, unclean. That's because we are strangers, but in our case, also because we drink blood. Do not touch anything, don't let your shadow touch anyone, it would be fatal." He grinned and showed his tongue between his teeth, "And, for heaven's sake, don't flirt with any of the men. You would condemn them to being banned. Everything okay with you, dear?"

ooo

Juan held Jordana quietly for some minutes. She could feel his arms holding her close, and in the ensuing silence of the deserted yard, didn't want to break the mood. But eventually her companion, seeming to make a decision, pressed his forehead against her own, "That… and everything else. Good." The blonde had no way of knowing, in her inexperience that Juan might be trying to read her. Pulling away, Juan moved around the car, "Come."

Whatever Jordana was expecting it wasn't the empty countryside. The scent of stagnant water, combined with green growing things led the blonde to believe they must be close to the swamps, and after some time, Juan turned the car onto what, she couldn't at first see. Then the appearance of faint tracks became clear. A faint sound on the breeze, had the girl in the passenger seat looking up ahead, causing her to notice the campsite that until now had been hidden.

As Juan parked the car, Jordana turned to him with a questioning look. "Whatever may happen now, stay by my side. And try not to say anything, dear. I don't know yet which family it is, but… these people are… touchy." The mystery seemed to grow, and a pair of blue eyes turned quizzical at his comment. 'Touchy?...then why? are we here?' she wondered, but kept the question to herself. However, when Juan got out, Jordana followed, watching as a woman straight out of a movie set appeared.

Had her companion not taken her hand, the blonde would never have taken even a step closer, but his presence comforted her and she allowed herself to be led forward. "What do you want?" the woman stared boldly at them, not asking but more demanding an answer, her English just what Jordana would have pictured for a movie gypsy. And the blonde had to breath deeply for a moment so she wouldn't burst out laughing.

Then suddenly it wasn't a laughing matter. Juan began speaking in a language she'd never heard, a serious expression slid over his face. It seemed he was asking permission for something, gesturing to the woman, then waiting for her answer. When he gave Jordana a nervous look, she knew these people were the real thing. And there are things that even vampire's fear in this life.

The woman's face had never lost its hostile edge, in all the time Juan talked to her, but now as she shook her head, she grinned broadly. "You are Juan, the dancer." And he answered, "I am." All the girl could do was give him a sidelong look, keeping herself silent as he'd requested.

It seemed to be the magic key, because she turned letting them pass, totally ignoring Jordana. And as she followed her dark haired companion, the blonde let out a sigh. Why was it that everyone seemed determined to ignore her tonight. But as Juan led she stayed close to him, listening as he whispered what had gone on between them. "We are lucky, my dear, very lucky. This doesn't go so well at all times." "Yeah, lucky...right." Jordana grumbled to herself.

They took a seat behind the congregation of men, and Juan seemed especially concerned about brushing against any of them. "To those people, we both are marimé, that means, unclean. That's because we are strangers, but in our case, also because we drink blood. Do not touch anything, don't let your shadow touch anyone, it would be fatal...And, for heaven's sake, don't flirt with any of the men. You would condemn them to being banned. Everything okay with you, Jordana?"

When he grinned at her, everything seemed ok once again, and she leaned in close, "Why would I want to flirt with any of them when..." her eyes sparkled mischievously, "... I have Juan the dancer, to flirt with." She paused for a moment, her hand still clutched in his, "I'm alright...and I'll behave. I wouldn't want any of them throwing a curse at me, now would I?"

ooo

"Yes, you have me." Juan's voice was almost guttural while he kept himself from openly showing any affection for her. "And you will have me all night. A curse…" It seemed as if this cue made his mind wander astray, and a cloud passed over his eyes once more. Then, in spite of tradition and decency, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

When Juan and Jordana had settled, the little group started playing the music again; two of them singing alternately, their strange voices ranging from high pitched, almost wailing, to dramatically low, one playing a guitar in a similarly strange fashion. The music itself sounded vaguely familiar, but it didn't have the charm the flamenco from tourist shows should have; it was clearer and rougher, and it either went on people's nerves or directly to their heart.

"It's called the _cante jondo_," Juan whispered. "It recounts stories of love and death, the common foolishness…" He chuckled. "_Corazoncito_, it never changes, wherever you go. Life and sex. Love and death." The music went to his heart and made it try a beat or two, forcing him to get up and move. He hugged Jordana for another moment, inhaling her scent, then let go of her. "Do not worry. I will not forget about you. Just watch and enjoy. I am doing this for me. I am doing this for you. You may join me later, if you want."

His face set, he rose and walked to the other side of the fireplace, where no one was sitting. Unfortunately, right at that moment, his shadow fell on the Chovihany, who had chosen just this moment to go along the caravans. All the men sitting by the fireside looked up, stopping to sing immediately. The wise woman stopped in her tracks and yelled something and turned to go. Juan yelled something back, then looked at Jordana, made a soothing gesture and made to follow the Chovihany. They went into a small tent that looked quite out of place between all those modern caravans. Short time after they had disappeared behind the flap, there was a little explosion, and blue and white sparks emerged from the tent entrance.

Only seconds later, Juan crawled outside the tent, followed by a gloating witch. He was unharmed, if but a bit dizzy because of the light the firework had made. Shaking his head to get his eyes to work again, he looked up at Jordana and smiled enigmatically. The men started playing the music once more, as if nothing of great importance had happened.

((OOC: You said, Elena, that I shouldn't mention it. But my pride does not allow me to claim which is not entirely mine. Hence, let me thank you for this extraordinarily witty Chovihany you were the model for. _Gestena, Elenyi, ves'tacha_.))

ooo

"Yes, you have me...And you will have me all night. Juan answered, but his voice didn't hold the playfully seductive tone it had earlier. And at the mention of a curse, totally a joke on the younger vampire's part, he seemed to get thoughtful. Just when she thought he was going to pull away from her mentally he wrapped his arm around her hugging Jordana to him.

The sound of music, pulled their attention from each other and back to the scene surrounding them. The music and singing was haunting and exotic, something Jordana had never heard, and before she could pose a question to her companion he turned as if he'd known she was curious. "It's called the cante jondo," he whispered close to her ear, still held by the sound, "It recounts stories of love and death, the common foolishness…..Corazoncito, it never changes, wherever you go. Life and sex. Love and death." It was almost like an invisible string pulling him up, and after another hug, Juan stood unable to stop its call. "Do not worry. I will not forget about you. Just watch and enjoy. I am doing this for me. I am doing this for you. You may join me later, if you want."

Jordana studied Juan's face briefly, seeing the glazed expression, and knowing he was lost to the voice of the gypsies. Her gaze followed her companion, as he moved across the empty space, but suddenly the thing he'd warned her not to let happen did. His shadow fell on the woman, and as soon as it touched her, the music stopped, everyone staring at Juan. She began yelling in the language of her people, gesturing wildly at Juan, until he yelled something back at her.

With a gasp, Jordana wrapped her arms around herself, afraid of what these strange people would do to her companion, and possibly to her, but her eyes followed Juan, seeing the soothing gesture he made, before following the woman into the tent. Even with the gesture the blonde was worried, about what was happening beyond the canvas walls.

The explosion, caused the vampire to jump, and her eyes searched the opening until she saw, with relief, Juan crawl out, with the woman following closely, a satisfied expression covering the scowl she'd previously worn. Forcing herself to sit still, Jordana let her eyes move over the man, searching for any sign...of what she wasn't sure. He seemed alright, but the blonde wouldn't be happy until she could check for herself, or at least ask him what happened. Whatever it was, the camp seemed unconcerned now, and began to play their haunting music once again.

ooo

Searching Jordana's face for any signs of anger or bellicosity, Juan was surprised to find not a hint. Instead, she showed great concern, probably because of the sparks that had come out of the tent. Although the music was already calling him, trying to lure him into the dance right now, he forced himself to go back to Jordana first, in order to explain what had really happened.

Squatting by her side, he smiled his usual smile. "Worried? I'm proud of you. For a moment I feared you might tear down the whole camp, but I see that I should not fear anything of this kind." Moving closer, he whispered: "You can examine me later. Don't worry, _corazoncito_. We had to do it. Do you understand?"

He looked her in the eye, moving even closer before going on talking. "It was a hoax." Grinning mischievously, he leaned back a bit. "In fact, none of this would've been necessary, because, strictly speaking, we are not even here. We are spirits, we are not supposed to exist. Then again, the good woman couldn't be sure if all of her clan would agree on this, so she had to be inventive…" At the look in Jordana's face, he chuckled. "This is what it's all about: Intrigue, deceit, hey presto."

As the call of the music was getting stronger, Juan started to show signs of restlessness. With an apologetic nod, he got up and went to the other side of the fire again. When the music reached his limbs, Juan started to dance. He moved along the narrative, along the rhythm, let his hands tell the story and his feet talk about the emotions behind it. It did not take long before he could feel Francine's blood rushing, boiling in his veins, and from there on he let himself be carried into _duende_.

When the song ended in a guitar flourish, Juan fell to his knees. He did not need to be panting, any yet it showed that he was deeply moved. Taking one breath, he looked up and his eyes met Jordana's. He did not say a word, and yet she could hear in her mind that he asked her to join him now.

ooo

Jordana's eyes followed Juan as he made his way back to her, kneeling down beside her. "Worried? I'm proud of you. For a moment I feared you might tear down the whole camp, but I see that I should not fear anything of this kind...You can examine me later. Don't worry, corazoncito. We had to do it. Do you understand?"

With a negative shake of her head the blonde's eyes met her companion's dark gaze. No she didn't understand. But just before he could continue, she spoke her voice soft enough not to travel, "If you hadn't come back out...or she'd hurt you, that is exactly what I would have done. However, no matter what you've heard about my origins, some of us can control ourselves." A negligent shrug of her shoulders was the only motion she made, as her attention moved to his next words.

"It was a hoax...In fact, none of this would've been necessary, because, strictly speaking, we are not even here. We are spirits, we are not supposed to exist. Then again, the good woman couldn't be sure if all of her clan would agree on this, so she had to be inventive…This is what it's all about: Intrigue, deceit, hey presto." Jordana still didn't understand, but here where other ears might hear, she wouldn't ask for more of an explanation. And besides Juan looked like he was eager to return to the wildness of the dance. With a nod, he was gone, back to the open space, he'd occupied earlier. And with a savage grace lost himself to the music.

The girl was mesmerized by the beauty of the moving man, losing all sense of time. Her eyes were glued to his form, until with the last flourish, he fell to his knees. Juan looked up, and his dark eyes glittered in the firelight, seductively calling her to him. And Jordana didn't even know she was moving across the clearing until she was standing over the kneeling man, her hand outstretched to clasp his own.

ooo

Her words had been spoken softly, yet her look had been chiding him. Recalling Jordana's attitude, now that the first fire of the dance had died away, Juan took her hand and looked at her with a respectful smile. "I gather we have a lot to learn from each other," he said and gracefully made some first steps to and fro, swaying to the music. "But tonight… I teach you." This time his smile was bona fide. "Tomorrow… we will see."

Leading Jordana by her hands, he made slow simple arm movements, up and down, his tone of voice exaggeratingly didactic, like the spitting image of a renaissance master of ceremonies. "One two, one two, one two three, one two three, one two, _attention_ _s'il vous plaît_, 8-9, 10-11, 12-1-2, 3-4-5, 6-7… You get the rhythm? Come one. _Eso es_." He had seen her move before, and he knew she could dance just fine, yet he was tempted to fan the flames just a bit more. Laughing at his own folly, he stopped talking at long last and continued to dance more seriously. The turquoise green of the blonde's eyes was sparkling dangerously while she moved with him in unison to the _Siguiriyas _the musicians were playing now.

The dance was slow and grave first, but at the end of each _copla_, the rhythm and tempo would accelerate, urging the dancers on to move faster, until the next part of the song would follow like another huge wave. When this happened the first time, Juan simply trusted Jordana to go on with him accordingly. In fact, it was much easier for the Vampire to follow even these fast parts of the song than it would have been for a mortal; to a mortal observer she obviously was a natural. Again, Juan was caught by the music, and he let it happen, enjoying Jordana's presence this time.

At the end, the plaintive mood of the song became gradually lighter and swifter, calling the dancers to summon their reserves, making the air blur with passion, fire, smoke, shadows, presence and past intermingling, the invisible threads between the auras of the musicians and those of the dancers glowing in their original brilliant colours, until the whole culminated in the final llamada, and the colours slowly faded.

Right after they had finished their playing, the musicians put away their instruments, engaged in a discussion, talking in the same strange language Juan had been using earlier. They made it quite obvious that they would not play again this night. Juan remained standing there in their final pose, Jordana with her back to him, still locked in his arms. "I would like you to sit down with me," he breathed into her ear. "Let us stay here until they force us to leave. I want to look into the fire with you, watch it burn out."

ooo

As the hand was offered, Jordana's dark companion took it. He led her into the dance acting as teacher beginning slowly then as the tempo of the music changed so did the pairs movement. The blonde heard the deep, rich laugh come from Juan as they sped up, moving in sync with the other and drawn in by the haunting music. And with her eyes moving over her partner, the girl could see how much he was enjoying the freedom of this wild choreography.

The music wound around the pair, raising then dipping, only to reach its peak, falling to silence as the song ended. Jordana, wrapped in Juan's arms, her back against his chest, stood still letting the thrill of the last notes wash over them. It appeared the musicians had finished for the night, putting away their instruments, and chatting among themselves, never bothering to acknowledge the vampire's.

"I would like you to sit down with me...Let us stay here until they force us to leave. I want to look into the fire with you, watch it burn out." his voice tickled close to her ear, teasingly. Leaning her head back, a throaty laugh rising to the surface, Jordana's long hair sliding over his shoulder, she spoke, "There is more then one way to burn out a fire, but if you want we can stay here, and enjoy the culture of these people." She turned her face, so that her cheek rested along his chest, still locked in Juan's arms. "Just remember, the dawn will approach, and we'll need to find shelter before then."

ooo

At her remark concerning the fire, Juan laughed, but did not make any move to meet her expectations in that regard; what is more, he looked a bit tired, as if he maybe had heard that sentence once too often in his un-life. Realizing that his expression did not do her justice, he shook his head slightly and changed the topic. "Their culture? You will find not out much about their culture by talking to them." Juan smiled almost apologetically, put his arm around Jordana's shoulder and sat down, pulling her next to him. The fire had diminished already, the big logs gleaming in the dark, and slowly falling to embers. Watching them, Juan went on. "They believe in whatever god is at hand, and if you ask them…" He gestured, "No magic, never, no fortune telling, not us, and, no, we do not have witches."

He looked at Jordana, grinning sarcastically. "That's what they tell, that's what the _Gajé _– the others_ -_ believe. But, hell, it is a sign of the times, too, that many of them really are not capable of the old ways any more. Due to new knowledge, things written down…" He fell silent and looked into the slowly dying flames again.

While they were talking, a man approached them and put down a plastic tray with two red plastic beakers, containing red wine. As soon as he saw Jordana look at him, he made a gesture with his right hand and hurried back to the others. Juan took the glasses and handed one to Jordana. "They fear us. We are _marimé_, unclean, and so is everything we touch. You can take this stuff back home with you, or throw it into the fire. They will never touch it again." He drained his beaker, closed his eyes, then turned away from Jordana and spat the whole wine out again in one go. Muttering something French under his breath, he hurled the cup into the flames, then watched it melt and steam, as if it was a work of art.

Tearing himself away from it, Juan turned to talk to Jordana again. "You can ask me all about them, my dear. But what can I tell you? What is to be told of a people dying? And dying they are, forgetting about the old traditions, going to school… Sooner or later, their ways will be discovered by others, strangers, who might even know to appreciate them more. Everything changes, _motus continuus_."

The sun was still far from rising, and yet the strange tension could be felt, the time when Earth holds her breath and patiently waits for the first grey of the morning. Juan looked around. He could not tell how long he had been sitting there, staring into the fire, nor if Jordana had said anything else. She was still by his side, but otherwise the fireplace was deserted; the men had probably gone to bed long since. Juan got to his feet and automatically reached down to help his lady up, too. "We should go home, my dear. We'll be at my place just in time." He looked at her through his lashes, "If you would like to join me for the day, that is."

ooo

Jordana heard the answering laugh, but her companion didn't make any move, other then a shake of his head. _"Their culture? You will not find out much about their culture by talking to them..."_ he began explaining, as he pulled her down to sit next to him. The blonde listened with interest, not only to his word telling about how much these people had changed in modern times, but the rise and fall of his voice, until he fell silent watching the dying flames licking at the last of the logs.

Looking up as a man approached, Jordana could see he carried a tray, and as he saw her watching said something she couldn't understand, quickly putting it down just in reach, and making a hasty retreat. Juan took the offering, hand one of the plastic glasses to the girl, _"They fear us. We are marimé, unclean, and so is everything we touch. You can take this stuff back home with you, or throw it into the fire. They will never touch it again."_ Blue eyes followed her companion's movements, watching as he tipped the cup to his lips, tasting the wine before spitting it out. She on the other hand decided not to, and set the untouched wine down beside her. What was the point when it didn't hold any enjoyment.

They had been sitting beside the fire for some time, Jordana listening as Juan seemed lost in his reverie, almost sad about the changing times. But she could feel the creeping sensation of the night loosing its battle to the dawn, even though it was some time off. Being young to the vampire world made the blonde more sensitive to the effects of the sun, less able to fight off the lethargy. And it was a relief when Juan got up, turning to offer a hand to her, _"Time to wake up from my reverie. If I happened not to listen to your last words, my dear, I apologize. We should go home, corazoncito. We'll be at my place just in time...If you would like to join me for the day."_

Jordana was sure she looked surprised, when Juan asked her to spend the day at his haven. A haven was a last refuge for the vampire, and usually invitations were reserved for the trusted few. Of course he'd asked her to be his companion, earlier tonight, but the girl hadn't expected him to open himself up so soon. She took his hand, and stood, smiling up at him, "I'd like that...very much."

ooo

Juan saw the look of surprise in Jordana's eyes when she realized that he invited her into his haven. He knew that Sebastien would rise a little warning flag, too, like he had done so many times before. Nonetheless he could feel that she was probably less dangerous than he would want her to be, and he did not want to be alone, and after all, he didn't really care. 'You take what you get,' he answered in thought, but took great care not to speak the words aloud.

Leading her by the hand, Juan walked back to his car. When they were about to get in, the Chovihany detached herself from the darkness, and without getting any closer whispered something to Juan in that strange language they had used before. He looked utterly surprised for a moment, then smiled and nodded, answering something equally mysterious. Turning to the girl, he explained, "She asked me to make a donation for a school." He left open if his words were congruent with the truth, opened the car door for Jordana, then got in and swiftly drove towards the main road.

On their way to the city, passing the venerable estates once more, the car telephone beeped. Juan pressed the receive button with an elegant flick of his finger. "Yes?"

Sebastien's voice rang out, as cool as always. "You are on your way back, father?"

Juan rolled his eyes and looked at Jordana to indicate that he was slightly annoyed, then answered: "Yes I am, my loving son. _No te preocupes_."

"What about your blood doll?"

"Bring Raphael along tomorrow night. We will need him then."

"We." This was followed by a silence, then Sebastien simply said. "Very well. As you wish, father," and hung up the receiver.

Juan sighed. "It is always the same. They care about me so much… Until one day, they get stronger and more interested in power, and then… _zas_! they start getting nasty." He chuckled. "But, well, our existence would hardly be bearable without a little variety…" Out of sheer habit, he put his hand on Jordana's knee again, enjoying the silky touch. "At least, he did not ask me about business; that is a progress." Growing serious again, he added, "Bastien is different, though. He is exactly like his grandfather… He will behave." The last words were a statement, showing a glimpse of Juan's hope that things might turn out differently this time. But again, he left his words unexplained.

The light breeze carried the crisp scent of morning dew over the beach when Juan's car pulled into the parking lot of his condo. Making his tyres squeal, he came to an abrupt stop at exactly the right spot, and the way he handled the car could lead to the assumption that he would have made it pirouette before coming to a halt, had it been possible to do so.

When they got out of the car, they could see a single figure stand next to the elevator door. It was a middle-aged woman, obviously a servant, with a _café-au-lait_ complexion and wearing very modest clothes, and she curtsied when she set eyes on Juan. He majestically nodded back and said to his companion, "Jordana my dear, meet Maria. My housekeeper."

ooo

Had the blonde known what was running through Juan's mind as they looked at one another, she would have shown him just how much of a rage a girl like her could exhibit. Sure she wasn't one of the Iconoclast street thugs, but even the individualist street urchin wore their beast close to the surface.

However, Jordana took her companions offered hand and the pair walked the same path they come in on, moving back to his car. Along the way the Gypsy witch sidled out of the shadow, stopping Juan with their strange language, seeming to ask something of him. The girl didn't even pretend to follow their brief conversation, instead she waited until they'd finished and Juan opened the door for her, explaining what the woman had wanted. There was a hard edge to the woman's laugh as she spoke, "If we're so unclean, I'm surprised they'd accept our unclean money...in fact I'm surprised she'd even ask for help..."

Her eyes shot to the car phone as it began beeping, and listened silently as Sebastien's disembodied voice came over the small speaker. "You are on your way back, father?" Jordana would bet by the tone of his voice that the man had the same expressionless blank face he'd worn earlier, while watching them in the shower. And again she wondered, amused, what it would take to wipe that emotionless stare from his face.

"What about your blood doll?"

The question came across the phone, and until it was mentioned Jordana had forgotten all about the young man she and Juan had left behind. How easy it had been to dismiss something that had probably changed the human's life. "Bring Raphael along tomorrow night. We will need him then." Jordana just smirked, her gaze turning to the driver as he continued his conversation. "We...Very well. As you wish, father," The pause had said a multitude of things that the emotionless voice hadn't.

As the call disconnected, Juan sighed, "It is always the same. They care about me so much… Until one day, they get stronger and more interested in power, and then… zas! they start getting nasty...But, well, our existence would hardly be bearable without a little variety…...At least, he did not ask me about business; that is a progress." Jordana knew that if she remained around Juan for any length of time, she and Sebastien were going to have it out eventually, but wisely refrained from saying anything, enjoying the feel of her companion's hand caressing her leg, instead. "Bastien is different, though. He is exactly like his grandfather… He will behave."

The scent of the approaching dawn, caused a moment of pause for the girl, as she glanced out the window trying to gauge how long they had. But she needn't have worried as they pulled into the underground parking. And as the blonde slid from the car, she could see a woman standing, almost as if waiting, by the elevator.

The pair made their way across the parking lot stopping at the elevator, and the woman bowed to Juan. "Jordana my dear, meet Maria. My housekeeper." Jordana inclined her head, nodding at the woman, then smiled, "Hello, Maria."

ooo

The woman addressed as Maria curtsied again, looking at Jordana appreciatively. Then she let them enter the elevator first, grabbed her bag and slipped in behind them, keeping to a distant corner. Juan exchanged some words in Spanish with his housekeeper while taking out the key and manoeuvring the elevator to move upwards. Then he leaned against Jordana and lazily supported himself on the elevator wall. "Maria does not speak English. She is a gem, she always travels with me, and she will be our guardian angel during daytime. I told her that my pictures will arrive today, she will see to arranging them on the walls before we awake, and she said that you are very pretty indeed. No objection." The elevator pinged to a halt, and the doors to the apartment slid open.

As soon as they had left the little compartment, Maria set to work in the kitchen corner, probably in order to make herself at home. Juan ignored her and looked around. "Welcome to my future home. You can hardly call it that now, for half of it has not arrived here yet. However, feel free to use whatever you can find, my dear."

He slipped out of his clothes, leaving them where they fell to the floor (Maria would pick them up later), lay down on the bed, and looked at Jordana out of half closed eyes. At that moment, the first faint morning light made the steel shutters fall into place and provided instant pitch-blackness. Maria uttered a curse and crossed herself. Only an instant later, she had obviously found a light switch, and the working light from the kitchen area bathed the rest of the apartment in a faint yellow glow.

Juan, without batting an eyelid, looked at Jordana and smiled. "Impressive, don't you think? One of the many advantages progress has to offer. I only had to spend one night in the bathtub when the mechanism did not work." He leaned back, watching her. "That was a joke, uh huhuh. There is a 'bed' within my bed, where we can retire."

ooo

The vampires made their way into the elevator, followed quickly by the older woman. And as the car started to climb, the blonde casually glanced at the woman, while Juan talked to her in Spanish. "Maria does not speak English. She is a gem, she always travels with me, and she will be our guardian angel during daytime. I told her that my pictures will arrive today, she will see to have them arranged on the walls before we awake, and she said that you are very pretty indeed. No objection." Juan explained to Jordana, leaning against her, and the blonde gave the other woman a warm, almost human smile. His words made more sense of the situation...not only a servant but also his human servant, was this Maria. And the first of Juan's companions it seemed that didn't object to the younger vampires presence.

Maria made haste as soon as the door slid open, to distance herself from the pair, quickly moving away. "Welcome to my future home. You can hardly call it that now, for half of it has not arrived here yet. However, feel free to use whatever you can find, my dear." The blonde chuckled, "Somehow I had the feeling you hadn't been in town long." Curiously she let her gaze wander around the large room, turning in time to see her companions clothes dropped in a trail behind him. A shake of her head caused long strands of hair to sway behind the girl, as she followed Juan, a smirk playing along her lips.

Jordana had almost reached the bed holding the reclining vampire, and she was already feeling the effects of the creeping dawn. Her lips opened to ask how he planned on escaping the daylight, surrounded by windows, as she kept a tight rein on the panic that was trying to claw it's way to the surface. Suddenly shutters came down closing the day out of the apartment, and surprising the girl. A curse erupted from the direction the older woman had gone, and Jordana laughed.

"Impressive, don't you think? One of the many advantages progress has to offer. I only had to spend one night in the bathtub when the mechanism did not work...That was a joke, uh huhuh. There is a 'bed' within my bed, where we can retire."

"Quite impressive. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it." Jordana sat down on the edge of the bed, the dark not effecting her sight in the least, and began sliding her stockings off. She had to stand to remove the skirt, but left the tiny black piece of underwear on. She'd also decided to leave the sheer shirt in place and crawled up beside Juan, settling down beside him with a contented sigh. "Mmmm this is nice," she purred curling up against her companion, her eyes already growing heavy.

ooo

While Jordana's limbs were growing heavy, Juan disentangled himself from her embrace once more and came to stand next to the bed. He put the gold chain with the elevator key on the floor, turned a lever, then pushed, and the upper part of the bed slowly slid aside. Underneath was a sparsely equipped ottoman, yet in the same style like the bed's cover. He lifted Jordana up and gently put her on the other blanket, one "storey" lower, then lay down by her side and moved the bed closed again.

It did not take long before he felt his body relax, his mind drift away. The last thing he heard was that Maria picked up the key chain and made the bed, singing an old Spanish song, then his thoughts shut down, too.

Around noon, a doorbell rang. Maria operated the intercom, speaking a smattering of English with a strong accent, then descended to the basement. Some time later, she came back again, stepped out of the now crammed elevator and put a chair against the door to prevent it from sliding shut. Then she carried the ten big packages into the apartment and set to work. Ten pictures, each carefully wrapped in double layers of brown paper, had to be unwrapped, arranged and fixed at the walls. Looking at them, Maria crossed herself and shook her head sadly, yet she did not refrain from arranging them.

When she was finished, she stood in the middle of the apartment and looked at the new decoration. Two of the pictures were marked with a simple "E.D.," the other ones bore the signature "Marie Fontaigne," and they were painted in different styles, seemingly coming from different centuries. All of them, though, had similar gruesome subjects; held in reds, blacks and greens, and not at all subtle, they showed scenes from the inquisition, billowing plague corpses reminding of the Isenheim Altar, impaled bodies, distorted features and the like, most of them ostensibly crying for mercy, and one look at the pictures would have been enough to cause sensitive souls a nervous breakdown. Maria shook her head again, muttering "_pobrecito_" under her breath, then went to make herself a coffee.

The golden taps, swan shaped, arrived in the afternoon, and the plumbers were busy until sunset. When the last lazy sunbeams had crawled down the façade, only leaving the trace of a glow, the steel shutters rattled open. Maria put the golden key chain on the floor next to Juan's bed and with a sigh sat down in a corner.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

_(For disclaimer see chapters 1 and 2)_

* * *

Chapter 4

Her first conscious thoughts were how nice it was to be in Roderigo's arms again. 'Too long... too loo...' Jordana's mind sighed, as she stretched against the man. Then a subtle frown creased her brow, 'No... not right... Roderigo's... gone,' and it came rushing back. The night spent with Juan... and Rafe. The trip to the mansion, then the strange visit to the gypsy camp.

A very human sigh escaped the blonde's lips, and she turned her face to rest against Juan's shoulder. She could see they were indeed sheltered from anyone in the apartment, under some kind of, for lack of a better word, lid or cover.

For a moment Jordana let her mind wander. The anticipation was already building, thinking about what they might do to entertain themselves, as she remembered Juan asking Sebastien to bring the human to them. And now a fine edge of hunger began also to build. Being so young the girl was still a slave to the hunger of first night. "Juan?" she said softly, questioning if he were awake.

ooo

"Jordana," Juan replied melodiously, with only a hint of an accent this time. "I am wide awake. Bright eyed and bushy tailed." He leaned across her to move the inside lever that opened the "cover," then lingered above her and smiled. "You smell nice." A single word crossed his mind: precious. Precious he needed, and precious she was, if only because she was so very different from what he knew, so very unlike your average sweetheart… Almost swooping down on her, he kissed her quite thoroughly, then broke the embrace just as fast, and looked up.

"Ah. Maria. _Buenas tardes_," he said while caressing Jordana's breast like a sculptor. The housekeeper echoed his greeting likewise. "You may," Juan went on, talking to Jordana again, "help yourself for breakfast. I, however, will wait for my special diet." And with a dazzling smile and a dangerous sparkle in his eyes, he got up and looked outside the windows, taking in the view over the city like a bird of prey from his eyrie.

When he turned, he noticed the pictures. With a sigh, he walked to one of the most gruesome and caressed its frame for a little while, then tore himself away and went to the bathroom. There, he let out a cry of delight and shouted, to the world in general, "The taps have arrived! _Al loro, Maria, sinceramente, eres un tesoro_!" He sounded like a little boy at Christmas morning.

Maria listened to the compliment with a graceful and modest, even maternal smile, but she made no move to get up and expectantly looked at Jordana. When Jordana met her glance, Maria wished her a good evening in broken English and patiently waited for the inevitable that was to follow when a hungry Vampire awoke in the presence of a well-fed Kin.

Juan came back from admiring his new faucets and remained standing in the middle of the room, taking in the scene in front of him: two women sitting in front of the evening scenery. "What a nice image," he said softly. "As I said, _corazoncito_: feel free to help yourself; I am happy to watch… and I am sure it won't take Bastien long to join us."

ooo

As her name was said in velvety tones, Jordana smiled. She felt Juan move beside her, as he told her he was awake, and the stopped above her, "You smell nice." A smile curved her lips, then became an 'O' of surprise when his lips captured hers in a swift, thorough kiss. The next moment her companion looked up greeting the older woman from last night, _"Ah. Maria. Buenas tardes_," his hand still playing over her breast.

"You may...help yourself for breakfast. I, however, will wait for my special diet." Juan offered, as he gracefully moved from over her, and got out of the bed. The blonde's eyes followed the nude man, appreciating his lean form, wanting to ask about the special diet. However her attention was caught as he moved over to one of the new paintings, watching his fingers caress the work of art, remembering the feel of those same fingers only moments ago doing the same to her skin.

Jordana had sat up, but not moved from the softness of the bed, watching as her dark haired companion disappeared into the next room. "The taps have arrived! Al loro, Maria, sinceramente, eres un tesoro!" The joyous shout came from beyond the door, and Jordana looked questioningly at Maria. The older woman however, had her own happy smile in place as she turned to gaze back at the blonde, seeming to expect something, but greeting the girl in broken English.

Juan's voice cut across the quiet, "_What a nice image...As I said, corazoncito: feel free to help yourself; I am happy to watch… and I am sure it won't take Bastien long to join us." _Even as young as Jordana was, she knew it was a privilege to be offered ones human servant, and she smiled at the woman again, moving off the bed, stopping just behind her. Jordana brushed the dark hair away from the woman's neck almost in a caress, then leaned forward to pierce the skin. As she fed, her eyes, met and held Juan's across the distance of the room.

Careful not to take too much of the offering, Jordana licked the wound closed, then moved around to face Maria. "Gracias, Maria," she thanked the woman, then turned to face her host, walking toward him with a sultry stride. "Thank you, Juan," she purred, running a hand up his naked chest. "So what have you planned for tonight, after Sebastien gets here?"

ooo

"Plans?" Juan purred back, seemingly enjoying her touch, but in truth merely relishing the image of her touching him." I never make plans…" His mind, though, wandered astray for a moment and lingered over the whip safely stored in one of the fitted cupboards behind the panel. Too early, he brought himself back into line and turned to lean into Jordana with his back against her. "Look at the city," he said. "It's going to be ours…" He closed his eyes, pulled Jordana's arms around him and remained standing there lost in thought for a while. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Ripped from his reverie, Juan gracefully slipped out of Jordana's arms and picked up the elevator key. Maria, who had just made herself a strong coffee, met him at the entrance door, softly patted his cheek and took the chain from his hand in order to pick up the visitors. "It is Bastien," Juan commented while the car was already climbing downwards. Then he fetched a tremendously noticeable silk kimono from the bathroom, and while slipping into it, went to the kitchen to add a very personal note to the coffee. "Why can't they invent odourless coffee," he complained, chuckled and made a face while licking the little self-inflicted wound at his wrist closed again.

The elevator doors opened and gave way for Sebastien, Raphael and Maria. Raphael, who looked nervous first, relaxed when his eyes set on Juan and his companion, and when Maria took him by the hand to lead him to the kitchen bar, he even smiled and followed her without hesitation. He was wearing a new pair of black trousers and a new white shirt, both fitting perfectly. While the two servants settled themselves over their coffee, Sebastien took in Jordana's attire without any obvious reaction, but instead kissed his "father" on both cheeks, then greeted Jordana with a courteous nod and said, "Miss Jordana. Hope you had a pleasant night," oblivious to any reaction on her side.

Then he closed his eyes once, like a slow motion blink, and turned to talk to Juan again. "Your very special friend from Paris called to inform us that the merchandise will arrive in a week's time, and that they are all well." He blinked again, as slowly. "Sophie sends her love. And Erique said he needs your number."

Juan nodded to the information given, but lifted an eyebrow at the last sentence. "He doesn't have my number? Impossible."

Sebastien smiled a very thin smile. "You have not been abroad for a while, as if I must remind you, and even the sewer rats' network has its limits."

ooo

"_Plans?... I never make plans…" _Juan's voice came out pure velvet, like a silky touch running up Jordana's spine. Only a hint of a smile quirked the corners of her mouth as she thought about the possibilities after the previous night. She'd had only a glimpse, but had some idea what it might be that Juan craved, what pushed him over the edge. His back leaned against her, and he spoke close to her ear, _"Look at the city... It's going to be ours…" _Jordana didn't resist when he pulled her arms around him, and she willing hugged his body closer.

And then the doorbell rang.

Juan gracefully slipped out of her embrace, moving across the room to meet Maria who was already at the door. Jordana was amused by the motherly gesture from the older woman, as she patted Juan's cheek then took the key he wore around his neck. The blonde had been right in respecting the servant, because there was a bond between the pair that seemed to go beyond the norm. "It is Bastien," Juan stated as he moved toward the bathroom, then returning, tying a silk robe over his glorious body. He didn't stop, but continued to the kitchen throwing out a comment about coffee, while still lost from Jordana's sight.

The doors slid open revealing Rafe, who looked a bit out of place tonight, almost frightened until his gaze locked on Juan, then Jordana. With an obvious sigh the tension melted away from his body, and he went willingly with Maria to the kitchen. When he was gone Jordana turned her gaze to the other newcomer, Sebastien. She watched without comment as his eyes ran over her half dressed state... no reaction... which didn't surprise her anymore, although she wondered how long he could ignore her... especially if she didn't let him. He kissed his father, then much to the blonde's surprise, turned giving her a cool greeting, _"Miss Jordana. Hope you had a pleasant night."_

A vindictive smirk curved Jordana's lips. "Why yes, thank you, Sebastien," she purred, her voice like cool water flowing over all it touched, "Your father is a very inventive...host" The implication was there as a throaty laugh tinkled out of her parted lips. And the only reaction to this... a slow blink of his eyes. Then he turned to Juan, and began speaking about business.

Well if he wanted it that way... Jordana could oblige.

She turned away as soon as the pair began talking about things and people she didn't know, gliding across the room, toward the bathroom. On the way, the girl noticed the closet full of Juan's clothes, and letting her hand slid over the fabric, pulled a silk shirt from the hanger. And when Jordana reappeared, she wore a midnight blue silk shirt, that hit about mid thigh, the only other piece of clothing, the black scrap of panties Juan had given her the previous night. She wasn't about to wear the same clothes as last night.

ooo

The exchange between Jordana and Sebastien had not escaped Juan, nevertheless he merely watched it with a knowing smile. It took very much to move Sebastien, but he also knew it was possible. Like so many times before, he thought, he's so much like his "grandfather," and smiled even more at the thought of him, the way he was as a little boy... When Sebastien mentioned the network, though, his smiled disappeared, and he answered, "They do have a network, then. I wondered… He'll probably have contacted the other ones here already." He shrugged. "But what good will it do us?"

Sebastien left his question unanswered, indicating Jordana's appearance with a slight nod of his head instead. Looking at her attire, Juan lifted his eyebrow, this time appreciatively. "Nice choice, my dear. However, if you want to join me when I hand over the money to Howard, you should wear something else." He lifted his hand theatrically. "Ah, wait." With this, he ambled to the closet and opened the sliding door to the top shelf. Jumping up gracefully, he got hold of a pair of black leather trousers, real tight fitting ones, and jokingly threw them at the blonde. "They will fit perfectly. Keep them if you like." He smiled again and winked. "You don't need to put them on right now, though…"

Meanwhile, Rafe had drunk his coffee, and a soft gleam in his eyes showed that Juan's blood was already working its way through his system. He came to stand by Juan's side and watched the two of them. Juan put his arm around Rafe's waist, while he went on talking to Jordana. "We will meet Howard at midnight again. I have no idea why he's so infatuated with this mythical point of time, but so be it. Bastien will take Maria back home, and we have plenty of time in our little love-nest…"

Letting go of Rafe, he excused himself for a moment, then accompanied Sebastien and Maria downstairs. Short time later, he was back. As soon as the door closed behind him, he let the kimono drop to the floor, his eyes gleaming with need. "And now… Dîner est servit."

ooo

The two men turned their attention to the blonde as she sauntered back into the room, and as she watched them, saw the admiring look in Juan's eyes. She'd wanted to mention the beauty of the unusual bathroom, but decided it could wait until later.

Juan started walking across the short distance, _"Nice choice, my dear. However, if you want to join me when I hand over the money to Howard, you should wear something else."_ He moved past her, stopping at the closet, grabbing something on an upper shelf, then tossing it to her. _"They will fit perfectly. Keep them if you like...You don't need to put them on right now, though…"_

Chuckling Jordana unfolded the leather pants, looking over at Juan, "I'm sure Howard would have appreciated my attire just fine, however I'll wear these... later." Her attention was caught as the young human came into view, cautiously stepping over to Juan, who put an arm casually around him, as he continued, _"We will meet Howard at midnight again. I have no idea why he's so infatuated with this mythical point of time, but so be it. Bastien will take Maria back home, and we have plenty of time in our little love-nest…"_

A throaty laugh escaped the blonde's lips, and she turned to watch Sebastien. "I hope you have a nice night, Sebastien. I know we will," she purred. Her gaze swept from the vampire to Rafe, moving to him as Juan escorted Sebastien and Maria out. Leaning in close to the human Jordana wrapped an arm around him, whispering in his ear, "Are you feeling better tonight? Ready to play some more?" Her teeth grazed the edge of his ear, and a shiver of excitement ran through his body.

ooo

"Do not let me disturb you," Juan said when he saw the two of them standing in front of the bed. "You are such a pretty couple, indeed." He sat on the floor under the tantalizing pictures, smiling his enigmatic smile again. "I would like to see you ride him. But of course, you can do whatever you please, gatita." Giving in to a voyeuristic impulse quite familiar to him, Juan contented himself with watching them, meanwhile drinking some obnoxiously sprinkled deep red liquor from a small vial.

After some of the proceedings had come to an intermediate end, he did join in, after all, but only to feed from Rafe's mamilla like a hungry child, straddling him. When he was satiated, he looked up like a cat from its milk tray and purred, "I feel so very much spoilt." He pulled Jordana into a deep kiss, then rolled onto his back and laughed.

The phone rang.

Juan groped for the receiver, but the powerful drug made him lose his balance and he toppled over, pulling the phone with him. When he finally managed to talk into the handset, a highly melodious and somewhat annoyed voice, bearing a slight French accent, could be heard. Juan laughed again. "Erik. How nice to hear you voice!" He chuckled, looked at Jordana and made a face. However, the words of his interlocutor seemed to sober him somewhat, and he listened with a strained expression.

When the person addressed as Erik finally stopped his tirade, Juan answered. "I am dreadfully sorry, but you should call at another time, my love. Yes, but I do take care. You know me. I always take care." This did not seem to have the desired effect, because the only reply to that was the audible click caused by a receiver being slammed down onto its cradle.

Juan rolled his eyes and managed to put the handset back again. Then he looked at Jordana, sighing. "Please excuse this little interruption. It won't happen again. I promise." He crawled towards her, giving a sound very close to a purr again. "I'll make up for it right now… It's all up to you, my dear. Be inventive." And while his eyes were still smiling impishly, he crossed his hands in a submissive posture.

ooo

Jordana turned a heated look on her vampire companion, a smile slowly curving her lips. She moved back to Rafe, running her hands up the white shirt. Toying with the top button, she spoke in a soft sultry tone, "What do you say Rafe? Wanna give Juan a show?" Blue eyes looked up at the human with a not so innocent look in their depths. Rafe was already reaching for her, as he agreed, his breath quickening, as she chuckled.

The fingers that had been toying with the button began slowly undoing them, then Jordana ran her hands under the cloth pushing it back to fall to the floor. She ran a fingernail along the waist of his pants, teasing, before unfastening them to join the shirt. He was then led to the bed, where Jordana gave him a push, following him down. She knew Juan was watching every move as they began to get hot and heavy.

It was obvious Rafe had plenty of experience, and Jordana had given herself away to the pleasure of the moment, partially forgetting about the other man, until he was beside them. Juan rolled Rafe under him, his legs straddling either side of the young man, as he bent down to feed from him. And when he was finished, looked up with a pleased smile_, "I feel so very much spoilt."_ Pulling the blonde against him, Juan gave her a heated kiss, the taste of Rafe's blood still fresh on his lips, making Jordana want more. But instead of continuing, Juan fell back to the bed, laughing.

Jordana, about to follow him down, was stopped by the shrill ring of the phone. She watched as the dark haired vampire fumbled with it, losing his balance before getting it to his ear. It was obvious the caller was quite annoyed as his voice came loudly over the phone. But Jordana decided to give what bit of privacy she could this close, and turned her attention back to Rafe, doing wicked things with her mouth as they played quietly together so as not to interrupt.

When the call ended, the blonde heard Juan sigh, and looked at him. _"Please excuse this little interruption. It won't happen again. I promise... I'll make up for it right now… It's all up to you, my dear. Be inventive."_ She watched as he lay his hands down, submissively crossed, and she climbed from the human, crawling over to the vampire. Straddling Juan, she pushed him back, bending over him, "It certainly wasn't very good timing." Jordana captured his lips in a heated kiss that lasted for several seconds. "Now, what would you do to make up for it? Hmmm?"

The scratch was swift, and deep enough to draw blood, which welled up along Juan's chest, and as he moaned, Jordana smirked, never taking her eyes away from his, "Rafe. Come taste the blood of your host." Had he not already been unknowingly started on the path to becoming a servant, the man might have refused. But the scent of Juan's blood, which he'd already been given twice, called to the young man, and he crawled forward to lick the long scratch. Again she marked the vampire under her, letting the man lick the blood from his chest in a sensual manner, then laughed, "And now, Juan, what are you going to do to make up for the interruption?" Her voice purred, deep with lust as her gaze met his.

ooo

Juan bucked under Jordana when she inflicted the wounds on his chest, but still managed to answer her question, his voice hoarse. "I will yield… eventually." He struggled playfully, laughing throatily, and glanced at Rafe while the human was lapping up his blood, then answered her question. "Leave it to him, dear. He will know what to do." And forcing a smile, he added, "Are you not, my little pet? Do you not want to let it out? Do you not want to let go?"

The powerful drug from the vial that had mixed with Juan's blood some time before, was still effective. It hit Rafe's system like hot metal pouring through his vessels, and he gave an animal growl when it reached his senses. Like the divine brothers slumber and sleep meaning sleep and death to the humans, the effect would not ebb, as was the case with the Vampire, but instead increase and spread further still, driving the Servant on with an unearthly need for relief.

Burning with desire, Raphael sat up straight and threw back his dark curls, then growled. Juan laughed again. "Is he not adorable?" He did not have the chance to utter more than this, though, because the next moment Rafe pounced on him, in fact attacked him, his last restraining scruples bursting away, and literally paid Juan back for the last night. What was Jordana's contribution to the event, her companion could not tell, but somehow he started to feel.

This time, and predominantly due to the drug or probably other administrations, too, the procedure was enough to send Juan, for one blissful moment, on his way to the Celestial City. When his wings finally fell off, he dropped into the depths of hell, and clinging onto Jordana as his last resort, he emitted one eerie cry, while cold tears of blood welled up in his eyes. In a whisper so soft that only Vampire ears would hear them, he uttered a chain of words, speaking so fast that it was hard to perceive they were Latin. And yet, if Jordana listened carefully, she would know those words. They were part of a prayer. Still holding on to her, Juan managed to raise his voice at last, and said, in-between a mixture of a sob and a laugh, "I yield."

ooo

Jordana still straddling Juan, looked over her shoulder at Rafe as he growled. She heard Juan ask if he wasn't adorable, and had to agree, the feral look in his eyes was much preferable to the crying from last night. And when Rafe pounced, he trapped Jordana between them, pushing her down on Juan.

There wasn't much the blonde had to do, letting the men do all the work, and simply enjoying the ride. She couldn't see Rafe, but watched Juan's face as he slid into oblivion. It was the very human teeth sinking into her shoulder that sent Jordana over the edge, followed by the sound of it, by Rafe.

It was however, Juan crying out as he gripped her to him, that brought the girl back to the present. He was mumbling a phrase from what sounded like a prayer, and at that moment Jordana wondered how shattered he was inside. With a strangled laugh he looked up at her, _"I yield."_ and she leaned in giving him a soft kiss.

ooo

When he felt Jordana's soft lips on his, Juan imagined he was in Francine's arms again, back home, and everything was quiet. But his memory was cruel, and the arms were cold like his own, not slightly warm like the ever-glowing magic radiating from the wise woman she had been, and of course he knew this was not Paris, but Miami, and the woman was not Francine. He felt Rafe's arms hugging him from behind, in a stirringly human attempt to comfort him, and this alone made him smile in mid-kiss.

It was Rafe who talked first, while the last waves of the powerful drug were washing over him, leaving, making him shiver slightly. "He'll be all right, yes? I mean, it's just a game, no?" He looked at Jordana with a pleading expression.

"Of course I am all right, sweet boy," Juan answered softly in her place, turned on his back and put his arms around the both of them. Directing his words to Jordana, he then said, his tone of voice sounding astoundingly settled. "Life has its strange twists and turns, indeed. But would it not be boring if we ourselves were not twisted and turned, too. _Nescio utrum id rectum sit necne an non_, but it is the way I prefer to spend my un-life, instead of wasting it with such an affected behaviour like pretending to be an upright petit bourgeois." Finally calling himself to reason, he added, "Well, _corazoncito_. What are we gonna do with the broached eve?"

ooo

While returning the kiss, Jordana felt Juan's lips curl into a smile. She was relieved the melancholy had fled her companion so quickly, but now knew why his people, or mainly Sebastien was so watchful of the vampire. Of course Juan would either scoff at, or become angry if he knew her thoughts, but there was something fragile inside him. Something he, himself was fighting against, something that, she suspected if let lose, would eat his sanity alive.

It was Rafe who pulled her out of her musings, as he spoke, "He'll be all right, yes? I mean, it's just a game, no?" She saw the pleading look in his eyes, and remembered that although they were probably the same age, he was new to their way of life. Hell she was still new to their way of life. _"Of course I am all right, sweet boy,"_ Juan's voice soothed, as he pulled them both into a loose hug. _"Life has its strange twists and turns, indeed. But would it not be boring if we ourselves were not twisted and turned, too. Nescio utrum id rectum sit necne an non, but it is the way I prefer to spend my un-life, instead of wasting it with such an affected behaviour like pretending to be an upright petit bourgeois...Well, corazoncito. What are we gonna do with the broached eve?"_

Jordana turned a smiling face to him, "I'd say we started the evening out quite nicely," she leaned in to run her tongue over Juan's lips, "And I'd say we take Rafe out on the town... and show him off a little," she ran a finger down the cafe au lait skin of the human's arm, "but... we have to be mindful of the time. Sebastien would never forgive me, if I caused you to miss your meeting." Her laugh tinkled out, around the three on the bed. "I want to explore your very beautiful bathroom... anyone want to join me?" Jordana teased.

ooo

While Jordana was looking at him with a thoughtful expression, Juan could see her aura change, if but slightly. It now had the quite familiar lovingly worried tinge so inherent in many people around him – or at least the ones who cared - and he had long since given up to be annoyed by it. And yet, he would have given quite a lot to be able not only to feel her thoughts, but also to read them right now.

Her words slowly reached his hearing, and without changing his position or countenance in the least, he focused on listening to her once more. When her tongue touched his lips, though, he let his own slip out to meet it in a teasing combat, then finally stopped playing around and answered. "Bastien, yes, always worried… He would never forgive _me_." He sat up, winked at Rafe and smiled. "You two go to the bathroom and have fun. Leave the door open…I will stay on my own for a while, and, Jordana…" This time he once more pronounced her name the way she liked it. "Don't you worry about me." His tone of voice was deep and sombre, and somehow similar to the way he spoke to Bastien.

Rafe threw him a last worried glance before he made to follow the girl to the bathroom. His thoughts were still in a turmoil, although they had settled somewhat compared to the night before. He had been in that bar, and then suddenly not any more, without realizing what exactly had been happening to him, then he had got laid with a girl, but also with a man, something he had sworn would never happen, and all he knew was that the other two were not precisely what you call alive, yet he felt like he had never really lived before he met them. When Jordana said she wanted to show off with him, he felt heat rise in his face.

Watching the two of them, Juan had the sensation of a déjà-vu. In a flash, he could see himself, the way he had been before his embrace, so many centuries ago, and for an nth time realized that he found and embraced images of himself again and again, if not always for the way they looked, then at least for the way they functioned. He could not keep himself from chuckling, and shaking his head to his own foolish thoughts, went to the closet and pulled out another pair of black leather trousers.

He walked to his stereo system while lacing himself in by the leather strings attached to the trousers, and chose a CD with Stravinsky's _Feuervogel_, then looked around, and suddenly it was quite convenient that the apartment was so sparsely furnished. He could hear the roaring applause of the Parisian audience again (the one who had never had the chance to watch him dance to this particular opus), the unique Parisian ovations mixed with threats and boos, rushing through the rows of red plush seats, spurting over the golden parapets of the Opéra boxes, like he remembered the _Garnier_ long before Stravinsky's time. When he started to dance, though, it was the very choreography Balanchine had tormented his dancers with, the one Juan had embraced so willingly during his creative period in New York.

ooo

As requested Jordana left the bathroom door partially ajar. Once inside the luxurious room, the blonde made a quick path to the large tub, bending down to turn the faucets on full blast. It was beautiful, black porcelain, surrounded by black tile, the fixtures gleaming gold in the light coming from the vanity. The trapping of a pampered lifestyle if she'd ever seen one, although the girl hadn't seen this type of wealth before her sire had introduced her to the vampire life.

Jordana knew Rafe had followed her, feeling him hovering just feet from her kneeling body. However, she didn't know his thoughts were still troubled, until he spoke, "Do you think he's really fine..."; he let the question trail off, watching the blonde. In the middle of reaching for a bottle of bubble bath, Jordana turned her head so she could see her human companion, then smiled, "Of course he'll be fine. I think it was just... a bit of melancholy." While talking she poured some of the liquid into the water, then with a grin scooped up foam, smacking it on the man's bare chest. "Besides he has us, to entertain him."

Rafe seemed comforted by her words, and stepped forward, a smile of his own meeting hers. And Jordana realized it was probably the first she'd seen from him, prompting a question of her own, "Did Sebastien take good care of you, after we left?" she gestured for him to get in the tub, then climbed in front of him, her back laying against his chest. "I guess so..." he answered and she felt the shrug, "I didn't see him until right before he brought me here. They sent room service up, and left me alone, mostly. I...don't get it, I mean I hardly even know you and Juan but...I want to be here."

Jordana felt Rafe's hands smoothing over her stomach under the warm water, then moving up through the bubbles caressing her breasts. She let a sigh escape relaxing back against him. "It's ok, I understand, Rafe." But she wasn't going to tell him why right now, that was Juan's job. Strains of beautiful music floated in through the open doorway, and Jordana began to hum along even though it wasn't a tune she recognized.

ooo

Juan wrapped himself in the music and thus fought off the last traces of the melancholy that had got hold of him earlier that night. Under the influence of the vivid tunes, it was as if the jetés and the pirouettes, one by one, made all kinds of sentiments drip off in a multi-coloured rain, giving each movement a new shade, until the unrefined dancer himself remained, drained of his emotions, his conscience purified. He switched the stereo off and sighed. Then he heard the subdued laughter and the splashing from the bathroom, and the unusually joyous background noise made him smile.

Rafe was utterly engaged in helping Jordana undergo a meticulous cleaning job, if Juan was not very much mistaken. When the boy finally surfaced again, he noticed his maître, coughed and said with an embarrassed laugh, "Juan. We were talking about you." Juan remained leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and inhaled the heavy vapours of the perfumed bathing water. A feeling of peace and quiet had overcome him by the end of the dance, and he felt like holding on to it for a while.

"Do not let me keep you from whatever you were about to do, dear Raphael," he said softly and winked at Jordana. "I shall be happy watching you again." Belatedly taking in Rafe's words, though, he then cocked his head and asked, "You were talking about me? Now you arouse my curiosity, and I wonder what there could be worthwhile to talk about…"

Rafe cleared his throat once more and fidgeted a bit, feeling even more uneasy because he just realized that he was sitting in a tub full of bubbles together with a mysterious and unbelievably hot blonde girl called Jordana and was being scrutinized by a bare-chested man in black leather trousers for whom he felt an uncanny affection. "I… just wondered, you know…," he uttered. "how all this came to pass. I mean, I'd never… and now it's like I'm home. And I feel strange. And I can hold my breath like, for ages…"

"I chose you," Juan answered calmly. "Because you were just right, my dear." At Rafe's incomprehensive expression, he explained: "You are a handsome boy, Raphael. But that alone is not enough, not in the least… In order to match up against your small handful of competitors – who doubtlessly exist in a bar like the one we entered – you have to meet the following requirement: you have to be of French origin." A flicker of a smile mixed with a hint of hunger, "Which you are; mostly. You are a French Quarterone, exactly comme il faut. This is why I kept you." He raised his eyebrow with a smirk, and let the knowledge sink in.

But that did not satisfy Rafe. He caressed Jordana's shoulder as a sign that he did not want to ignore her but had to do this now, and went on asking, "What does this mean: You kept me?"

"Ah, Raphael, Raphael," Juan purred and sat down on the side. "Can you not feel it? Do you not feel an affection for me, something that surely has nothing to do with my pretty face? It is my blood that makes you feel that way." He looked away. "I can only hope I did you a favour by doing this. Too late for regrets, my dear. You're mine." He got up and left the bathroom, leaving behind a confused and agitated Rafe. He knew he could have gone into more detail, but why should he do that? No one had asked him, either.

ooo

Watching Juan disappear out the open door, Jordana turned when she heard the heavy sigh coming from her companion. "I still don't get it, how...?" The blonde put a finger up to Rafe's lips stopping the question in mid sentence. "Darling, you've already admitted this feels like home, and Juan has told you, you belong. You're thinking too hard about it..." She chuckled, leaning in to give him a lingering kiss, "If it feels right, don't worry about the details... you'll find out everything you need in time."

When Jordana had finished, leaving a more relaxed Rafe to enjoy his bath, she wrapped one of the large, plush, dark red towels around her, and padded out of the bathroom. Her bare feet made almost no noise, as she headed toward the dark haired man standing in front of the windows, looking down at the city. Of course she knew she couldn't sneak up on him, and that he most likely knew she was there, but he never turned from the cityscape laid out for his viewing. One slender hand reached out groping his derriere, "God, you have a nice ass," she breathed in his ear, looping her arms around his middle, and hugging him from behind. "And if you were curious, Rafe is fine. Actually he's taken this much better then I would have thought."

With a last hug, Jordana moved back letting the towel fall away as she picked up, first the leather pants, then the discarded silk shirt she'd pilfered from Juan's closet. As she dressed, the blonde commented, "As much as I like your clothes, I think I'm going to need to pick up some of my own soon." Soon the girl was finished, the skin tight leather forming to her curves, made it clear she wore nothing underneath as it dipped low around her hips, and the large shirt knotted at her waist revealed the diamond pierced at her belly button. "So... you think Howard will approve of this outfit more?"

ooo

"How peaceful and pretty a skyline can look, as long as you will not recall what is going on inside of it…" Juan hardly felt Jordana's hands touching his body, yet he was pleased about her fondness and the feel of the warmth her body still held from the bath. He petted her hands and remained looking out of the window. Only when he heard her voice again, he turned to look at her. "Ah, yes. The boy. He doubtlessly is a suitable man for this… game."

Watching her dress, he smiled when she mentioned Howard. "Yes, I bet he will. Rumour has it he has an unholy fascination with black leather." Cocking his eyebrow, he scrutinized her playfully. "Turn, turn. Yes. Perfect. But if you want this nice ass of mine to drive this delicious one of yours to your place for a change, I have no objection. We need to meet Bastien at the hotel, anyway, to pick up money and support and, of course, to leave the boy there - so why not make a Grand Tour around the town."

He went to another door of his vast closet and chose a simple red silk shirt and a black leather jacket. This time it had to be Gaultier. Turning to Jordana again, he commented, "Vanity is so strange, come to think about it. See, I know a man whose features are utterly contorted, so much that even most of his own kind refrain from looking at him, and yet he attaches great importance to his attire. Well, maybe this is what keeps us alive, this pretty little game of narcissism and self-importance, no? Maybe we would be mere _verduras_ without it."

Rafe came out of the bathroom looking changed, somewhat settled. He silently went to the bed to pick up his clothes Maria had carefully folded up in a neat heap, and dressed. Hearing Juan talk, he actually chuckled. "Verduras? You mean, you would be vegetable without vanity? I just try to imagine what kind of vegetable you'd be…"

Juan threw him a glance, but then joined in the laughing. "Don't tell. Don't ever dare tell, Raphael." He looked from one to the other. "Ready, my children of the night? Let's go make some music." He went to the elevator and opened the door.

ooo

Jordana turned with a smirk, making a show out of it, as Juan directed her to turn this way and that. "And I bet his obsession has nothing to do with our attire tonight," she laughed. When he offered to take her to her haven, continuing to explain what they needed to do before the meeting, the blonde nodded. "Sounds good. It won't take long to grab a few things, although I think I'll stick with these," she said, running a hand over the clothes she was wearing.

As Juan crossed the room, her gaze followed, admiring his graceful movements, until he disappeared through the closet door. She could still hear him, talking about vanity, and smiled at Rafe when he came back into the room. Juan reappeared, a red silk shirt covering his lean body, _"... Maybe we would be mere... verduras without it."_

Jordana wasn't sure what he meant, but it seemed that Rafe got it as he chuckled, _"Verduras? You mean, you would be vegetable without vanity? I just try to imagine what kind of vegetable you'd be…"_ The two men shared the joke, and Jordana laughed with them, not so much at the joke but more because Rafe seemed at ease with Juan now.

_"Ready, my children of the night? Let's go make some music."_ The dark haired man moved toward the elevator, and the blonde slipping into her high heels, twined an arm through the human's, following Juan. "Well don't we make a pretty picture," Jordana smirked, at the men she stood between. In moments the elevator door was sliding open, and the three headed across the underground parking, to Juan's car.

ooo

Juan gestured his two lovers to the back seat once more, closed the door behind them, gracefully slipped into the driver's seat and looked into the mirror. He smiled at the obvious fact that Rafe did not know where he rather wanted to be: by Juan's side, or by Jordana's. "I would love to drive you two around a bit more, if time allowed for it, but we will have to do that another night," the vampire said, gave a apologetic shrug and manoeuvred the car out of the parking lot.

When they had joined the limber twine of the night traffic, he asked, "I presume it is all right with you if we drive to your place first, Jordana?" He made to say something else, but was again interrupted by the car phone. A moment later, Sebastien's familiar voice rang out. "Pray excuse me, father. We have an… incident."

Juan rolled his eyes and almost barked back, "I cannot imagine anything that could not wait for another half of an hour, Bastien." The tone of Sebastien's voice did not change in the least. However, he talked back to his sire in another language, French this time, by the sound of it. They came to a halt in front of a red traffic light. Juan listened to his "son", drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, then replied harshly, "I understand. We will be with you as soon as possible." Without another word, he hit the disconnect button.

It was fortunate that the car was still standing in front of the traffic light, because for a moment, Juan had to close his eyes, then uttered a suppressed cry. It was over as soon as it came, and when he went on driving, he played his calm, cheerful self again, just like he was before the phone call. Looking into the rear mirror he said, "I am dreadfully sorry, my dear. We will drive to your place first, but I am forced to urge you to hurry. This is really unforgivable." He smiled at the worried look in Rafe's face and added, "Growl, growl, I'm an animal." He chuckled. "Don't be afraid, Raphael. You will see, everything will be just fine." His features, though, were just a little bit tenser than they should be.

Jordana slipped in the back behind Rafe, and made herself comfortable, snuggling up against the human's warm body. Her eyes followed Juan as he shut the door then dropped into the drivers seat. His eyes lifted to the rear-view mirror as he spoke, "I would love to drive you two around a bit more, if time allowed for it, but we will have to do that another night."

"Now what fun would that be, us back here and you all alone up there driving?" Jordana gave him a fake pout, which he ignored as he pulled out into the flow of traffic. "I presume it is all right if we drive to your place first, Jordana?" But before he could finish the conversation, or she could supply an answer the phone chirped to life. Before he could even pick it up the blonde had an idea who might be on the other end, and wasn't surprised to hear Sebastien's cultured tones coming across the receiver, "Pray excuse me, father. We have an… incident."

Jordana who until this point had been playing little touchy, feely games with Rafe, froze. 'An incident?' she wondered, waiting for the man on the other end of the line to continue. However Juan's irritated voice snapped at him, and they began to converse in what the blonde managed to recognize as French. A bit of a disappointment to the eavesdropping girl, since she couldn't follow what they were actually saying. "I understand. We will be with you as soon as possible." Juan said, ending the call with the push of a button.

From her position in the back, Jordana could see the tension radiating from the dark haired vampire. And it seemed to take a moment's effort for him to bring his control back to the surface, which he did with a strangled cry. The car began to move with the traffic again, and Juan began to apologize, "I am dreadfully sorry, my dear. We will drive to your place first, but I am forced to urge you to hurry. This is really unforgivable." He smiled looking back at them, comforting Rafe teasingly, but the lines around his eyes belied the relaxed pose he maintained.

Disentangling herself from Rafe, Jordana scooted forward leaning over the front seat. "Darling, we don't have to go to my place right now. There is nothing I need so desperately." Her fingers played with the ends of Juan's long dark hair as she spoke, "We could go directly to the hotel...to Sebastien." Of course she was curious to know what the incident was, but also she didn't want to be the cause of any delay, where Sebastien might find her at fault. Not that she feared, or worried about what the uptight man thought, but better not to be fodder for the fire, so to speak.

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 5

For disclaimer see chapters 1 and 2

* * *

Chapter 5 

He had enjoyed her presence from the very beginning, taken pleasure in driving the two of them around, watching them in the rear mirror every now and then, taking part in their affections. But right now, more than anything else, Juan was grateful for Jordana's determination. Wondering to some extent why he had never before tried to get involved with one of her kind, a variety obviously holding delicious and surprising secrets, he enjoyed the sensation of her hands so close to his neck, the fingernails that had made his skin feel something at last, now combing through his hair, and when their eyes met via the mirror, he knew that he did not need words to show his thankfulness.

When the TransAm came to a sweeping halt in front of the Grover Cleveland, the sand crunching under its tyres, there were several people waiting for them to arrive. One could make out the three Servants they had met the other might, the receptionist, ghastly pale, and somewhat away from the streetlight, Sebastien, who also looked quite a lot paler than usual. However, he was the one to approach the car first when Juan got out.

"How could this happen?" Juan asked without introduction. "Where is she now?"

Sebastien almost winced, but answered smoothly. "She was very calm first. I could not sense anything unusual about her. Then she had a little talk with Timothy here and somehow got hold of the bottle and the lighter. She is in the back room. _Mature factu opus est_…" His glance flickered from Juan to Jordana and back.

At that moment, a blonde girl, the one who had winked at Jordana the night before, ran to Juan and said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "She didn't mean to do it, believe me! She's out of her mind…" Juan made her fall silent with a glance, and patting her arm turned to listen to his son again. Sebastien, stopped in his tracks by the interruption, actually seemed to get nervous. "She is strong – and very fast, father. I thought about sending one of the… _ancillae_, but she might endanger them both; in fact, she might set fire to the whole complex..."

Juan listened silently, but when Sebastien had finished his report, he literally stared him down, then turned on his heels, his eyes cold, his lips in a thin smile, and talked to Jordana. "I must apologize for not having explained myself earlier. One of our… newcomers obviously prepared a little surprise for us, by dousing herself with petroleum and threatening to turn into a nice little torch if I won't meet her claim." He lifted his hand to his lips and started playing around with the ring once more. Coming to a decision, he added, "I will need your help, Jordana."

ooo

Jordana's gaze met Juan's in the rear view mirror, and she could see the relief residing there. And in moments he'd changed direction, letting the car come to a stop with a crunch of the tires. The blonde let her gaze move from watching the driver, to looking out the window to see they had a welcoming committee, only they didn't look very happy.

At the forefront stood Sebastien. Tall, dark, and imposing just like his father. But as Jordana's eyes swept over him she could see how pale he was, as if expecting so terrible thing to happen. He moved forward as soon as Juan got out, his attention fully on the other man. _"How could this happen?... Where is she now?"_

The blonde followed Juan out of the car, with Rafe behind her, but he stopped beside the car, where as, she moved closer to the pair of men, following their conversation. Sebastien's gaze flickered to her, then retreated back to his father. Before he could continue, a blonde girl, the servant from last night came rushing forward. Jordana had remembered the saucy wink and was looking forward to another run in, but the look on her face and the timing kept the blonde vampire from saying anything. _"She didn't mean to do it, believe me! She's out of her mind…"  
_  
It was obvious these people, Juan's people were distraught over the mystery woman, and what ever it was she was doing. The young Vampire's gaze swept over the servants, then over Juan, curiosity written all over her features as her dark haired lover turned to her, _"I must apologize for not having explained myself earlier. One of our… newcomers obviously prepared a little surprise for us, by dousing herself with petroleum and threatening to turn into a nice little torch if I won't meet her claim...I will need your help, Jordana."  
_  
Jordana hid the surprise well, only her eyes could have possibly told of the emotion. "Certainly whatever you need, I'll help with. Do you have any idea why she'd do this to herself?... or how to convince her not to?" Her eyes flickered back to Rafe, and she lowered her voice, "What about Rafe?" Their world could be cruel and if the vampires needed to do something cruel to stop this girl, she didn't want Rafe's initiation to their way of life to be this.

ooo

At the thought of fire, none of them could really stay cool, calm and collected. Juan watched Jordana's aura change again, and admired her seemingly composed façade. Had he not felt before that she would be very useful to him, he would be convinced of it now. "Raphael will stay with my son," he said, but this time did not smile. He turned to Sebastien. "How many others?"

Sebastien, who had already stepped towards Raphael, replied in a subdued tone of voice. "Five. Father. But they do not know what has been going on. I…"

"_Olvidalo_!" Juan interrupted him. "_Nos metieron el dedo en la boca_. They said they'll deliver in a week's time. How dare they expect us to be prepared now, _sonámbulos_. Who the hell sent them?"

This time, Sebastien almost stood to attention. "It was Mr Nicolaios himself, father."

The answer seemed to baffle Juan, and at the same time calm him down to some degree. Now he at least knew that those servants were special, and he wondered if Howard would ever be able to appreciate their true value. He made a mental note to reconsider whom to send, and whom to keep, but of course he would have to get to know them first, and then again, he had another week's time to come to a decision. Realizing that he was about to be lost in a train of consciousness once more, he shook his head as if to wake himself up, and looked at Jordana. "Come."

They entered the hotel, closely followed by the three servants. Sebastien tagged along, with Timothy and Rafe in tow, the three of them quickly withdrawing in the direction of the staircase. Before Juan opened the door to the back room, he yelled something in yet another language, this time sounding very much like Arabian. There was a pause, then an answer rang out, in a melodious voice, heavy with an accent, yet clearly pronounced. "I can understand your language, Mr Lavalle. Do come in. But I want to see you alone, no tricks."

Juan signalled Jordana to stay hidden, and slowly opened the door. He was prepared for quite a variety of sights, but not for what revealed itself to him now. Standing in one corner of the small room was a young woman, clad in a loose grey dress, holding a lighter in front of her. This alone did not come unexpected, of course. But the look of her… She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, petite and yet imposing with natural pride, her complexion the light brown of a genuine Egyptian, with all the details just right, features, colour of eye, hair, and so forth. But all those words would not do her justice.

Juan had long before made up his mind that beauty was boring, and the epitome of splendour was, if you went further along this road, the bizarre. But now he felt he could have been mistaken. There obviously existed something else yet, a kind of magnificence close to the supernatural, at the other end of the graph, and bearing an aura he had never experienced before: utter unbelievable perfection. Apart from the fact that she was dripping with petroleum and holding a lighter, she looked like the proverbial _Hoory_ of whom the Persians sung praises in their legends. Something highly unusual happened: For a moment, Juan was speechless. He just remained standing there, searching for the right words to utter, his jaws working without finding the right gear.

ooo

Jordana gave a brief nod as Juan told her Rafe would go with Sebastien. She might have her own ideas about the other vampire, but knew Rafe would be safe. Without looking back at the young man, the blonde moved up beside Juan, silently waiting until they'd finished talking. She didn't even bother to follow along, instead her mind was busy going over what she remembered of the interior of the hotel lobby.

_"Come."_ Jordana heard the dark haired vampire say, pulling her from her thoughts. The calm facade fell over her, and the blonde walked just behind her companion into the building. Fire was one of the things most feared by vampire, and apparently this human girl knew the best type of bluff to use. But how far was she willing to go? Would she really light herself up?

They stopped just beyond the room the girl was holed up in, Juan's hand hovering over the knob. Yelling something in the girl's native language, he waited listening for her answer, which came back in English_, "I can understand your language, Mr Lavalle. Do come in. But I want to see you alone, no tricks."_ Jordana cocked a brow at her words. The girl was smart. But negotiate? With a human?

Juan signalled Jordana to stay hidden, as he opened the door and proceeded into the room, leaving it open behind him. And from where she stood, the blonde could easily see his back. When he stopped, not moving, not uttering a single word, Jordana began to frown. What the hell was going on?

Patience was never one of Jordana's virtues, and certainly not a strong point of her creator's family in general. And her irritation rose with every second Juan stood stock still, until moving she could see the side of his face. He appeared mesmerized, his mouth trying to form words that didn't come out. Blue eyes narrowed, and a cold fire shone from them, as she watched her companion staring at the unseen, on her part, woman. He'd never looked at her like that.

Slamming the door the rest of the way open, Jordana burst into the room. "Just what the fuck is going on here?" she snarled, her heated gaze raking over the small woman standing drenched in the corner. "Do you really think that this will get you anything but excruciatingly dead?" She wanted walk over and slap some sense into the girl, but held her ground. Jealous? Of the human? Never. Food, pleasure, sometimes companionship, that's what humans were for. But nothing more. Jordana gave her a contemptuous look, before turning to look at Juan. "Tell her... no one will cry over her, if she does this." She was being purposely cruel to the girl, to get her point across, as her eyes slid from the man back to girl. "However... if you'll put the damn lighter down, maybe we can come to some understanding."

ooo

Jordana's interference was all it took to bring Juan back to reason. "No need to jump to decisions, my dear, please…" he said and lifted one hand, imploring her to wait. And now he also remembered why he had never got involved with a street urchin. Ah, yes. The temper. Well, he could deal with that now, and he would need it eventually, even if the lighter was a cheap one. Staring at the beautiful servant, who was right now fervently trying to make it work, he made one step further towards her, trying to focus every thought on controlling her, above everything else he would like to do to her right then and there.

"Stop it. Don't use it. Stop doing it now…" He had a grip on himself again, and his voice was flowing with the usual melodious intonation, irresistible and enchanting. She was fighting it bravely still, displaying an astounding amount of dexterity, but at last, she hesitated. "Good girl," Juan said smoothly, admiring her strength of mind, and in the same breath added over his shoulder, "Get her now." When, from the corner of his eye, he saw Jordana move, he shouted, "Don't break her. I need her. She might be worth a million!"

Jordana's gaze swung from her target, to Juan as he raised his hand and spoke, _"No need to jump to decisions, my dear, please…" _She stopped instantly, completely as only the un-dead can do, watching and waiting as her companion began speaking, in that soft, honeyed tone, trying to catch the girl's attention. _"Stop it. Don't use it. Stop doing it now…"_ Juan commanded, as she continued trying to get the lighter to flame to life. The girl looked up, a mere hesitation, and as her eyes met Juan's he caught and held them, controlling her will, but his words were directed at the blonde, _"Get her now."_

Ready to spring, Jordana moved with the speed of her kind, enveloping the servant in her arms, and plucking the lighter from her motionless fingers. _"Don't break her. She might be worth a million!"_ Blue eyes flickered to the dark haired man, standing inside the door, the hint of a smirk curving her lips, but as the chemical smell of the flammable liquid hit her nostrils, she wrinkled her nose, bending closer to the girl. "You didn't really want to do this. Juan... er, Mr. Lavalle, saved your life tonight. So, maybe you should tell him the reason for this."

Jordana really wanted to shake the girl and tell her how stupid this was, but maintained her cool. The situation was already heated enough. "Juan, someone needs to get her in the shower, get this stuff off. We wouldn't want anything damaged." The last part was said with a hint of sarcasm.

ooo

Once the girl realized that it was over, she broke into tears. Juan looked at Jordana and rolled his eyes. "I hate tears. Stop crying, will you." However, he drew nearer, trying not to get sick by the stench of petroleum, and answered to Jordana. "I am entirely grateful, my dear. She would have done it, I could feel it. I am in you debt, and yet… If you would please hold on to her a bit longer, I would like to have a little conversation." His expression showed that he was also grateful that it was Jordana who, by getting hold of the servant, had got herself in a mess.

"What is your name? And who the hell made you?" He asked the girl. She answered between sobs, obviously trying to get a grip on herself again. "Jamila. And it is Nicos who owns me." Another shudder went through her delicate frame, but she managed to stop crying. Juan looked at her in surprise. "Nicos himself? _No me jalo rosca_. Why would he sell you?"

At this, Jamila broke into tears for a second time, and stammered, "Because he hates me!" She then started a Arabian tirade, and Juan rolled his eyes once more and sighed. At another controlling glance from his eyes, though, and she stopped instantly. He shook his head in mock sadness and continued to talk, however this time to Jordana. "A private tragedy. How very touching. Yes, you are right: we need to clean her. But that is not all. I also need an explanation to this, and Bastien obviously is not the right person to keep this, uhuh, volcano inactive." He almost talked to himself for a moment. "I will have to do this myself…"

Then he locked his eyes with Jordana's. "Believe me, this is not easy for any of us. And you are simply amazing, my love. But now I am getting into a terrible conflict. I cannot leave this precious thing alone here, with her tendency to combust, and Howard is waiting for his money… Yes, I know, I would rather get rid of her on the spot, but first things first – and we want her to look pretty when we take her to him, do we not." He smiled and tried not to look condescending. "Now, I ask myself if you would be willing to do me yet another favour… I would be indebted to you, much more than I am already… It is thus: Would you be willing to accompany Sebastien to the midnight date with Howard?"

ooo

The girl started to cry, and from her position behind, Jordana saw the eye roll Juan exhibited. She wasn't much of one for tears herself, understood that if the servant had the nerve to try to torch herself something big must be wrong. Unless it had all been theatrics. Juan's voice cut through the crying, _"I am entirely grateful, my dear. She would have done it, I could feel it. I am in your debt, and yet… If you please hold on to her a bit longer, I would like to have a little conversation."_ Ah great, the shirt was already ruined, so why not? And his expression told the blonde how glad he was that it wasn't him.

Jordana held the girl in a firm, but not uncomfortable grip, while Juan asked his questions, and between sobs, she answered. And to her credit managed to stop the crying, as she talked, first in English, then much quicker in her own language. Questioning blue eyes met the man's across the short distance and Juan gave Jordana an answer, _"A private tragedy. How very touching. Yes, you are right: we need to clean her. But that is not all. I also need an explanation to this, and Bastien obviously is not the right person to keep this, uh huhuh, volcano inactive."_ It was obvious to the blonde the girl wasn't the only one that was going to need cleaning up, as the liquid soaked through the front of her shirt, leaving a cold wet sensation.

Juan's dark gaze met, and locked with Jordana's, _"Believe me, this is not easy for any of us. And you are simply amazing, my love. But now I am getting into a terrible conflict. I cannot leave this precious thing alone here, with her tendency to combust, and I would rather spend the whole night with you, more than anything else, to be honest - and Howard is waiting for his money…..."_ The young Vampire wasn't particularly surprised at her companions words. She'd seen the way he'd looked at the servant before she's interrupted. And knew he was fishing for a way to get the girl alone. But then he continued, _"Now, I ask myself if you would be willing to do me yet another favour… I will be indebted to you, much more than I am already… It is thus: Would you be willing to accompany Sebastien to the midnight date with Howard?"_

Jordana's eyes hardened to cold blue ice, as she stared at Juan. They'd only just met, and he owed her nothing, but to ask her to accompany the cold Sebastien... well the night had just gone from bad to worse. The blonde thought it over for several seconds, instead of flinging the words that tempted to fall from her lips. It never hurt to have powerful friends indebted to one. "Yes, I'll go. I'm sure Howard will be as amusing as last night. But are you sure Sebastien will be happy to have me with him?" She suddenly pushed the young woman into Juan's arms, letting the acrid smell hit him fully. "I'll need to clean up first. It seems the little rascal has leaked all over me..." She turned toward the door, but looked back, "And I'll need a shirt."

ooo

Knowing about the audacity of his own words, Juan had expected no less. He almost winced at the blaze in Jordana's eyes and caught the servant gracefully before she could ruin his shirt, too. But instead of looking at the girl, he gazed at Jordana, cocking his eyebrow when she strode past him. "Wait," he said. "Please…" He grimaced as the smell hit him again when he took breath for speaking. "I… do not know what to say, Jordana. Believe it or not, but I feel the necessity of an explanation. First, Sebastien will not be half as happy as I would be by your side – but then again, don't spend a thought on him…"

He tried to hold the unresisting servant with his arms outstretched while trying not to look at her. He would have liked to explain to Jordana that Jamila meant nothing more to him than an exquisite piece of art, and what is more, a piece of art he would soon give away, but he felt that too many explanations would not make it better right now. On the other hand, he did not want to give away too much of his own feelings, knowing about his mental state that so often did him nasty tricks and usually made him end up in a turmoil. He sighed. "Second, I do not want to send you away while you are mad at me." He forced a smile, in spite of the fact that the stench made his system turn, and stressed every single word while trying not to sound too desperate. "I will make up for it. It is you that I want. Do you understand?"

Behind Jordana, the blonde whore approached whom she had met twice before, close enough to make her feel her warm presence, yet careful not to intrude. "You can have some of my clothes," she said in an astoundingly deep and rich voice, her pretty lips parting into an open and genuine smile. "Wow, you look cool with your shirt plastered to your skin like this. I'm Liberty." She remained standing there with her hands folded in front of her, waiting for the Vampire to make the next move.

ooo

"Is there anything that truly makes Sebastien happy?" Jordana felt the girl at her back, but for the moment ignored her, instead rushing back almost too quick to follow she gave Juan a fierce, angry kiss, abruptly letting him go and returning to her former spot. "You'd better see to Jamila. That stuff could be unhealthy for her."

Turning to Liberty, Jordana gave her a smirk, "Liberty, huh? Well Liberty, show me what you've got." The vampire chuckled as she let her gaze drop down the girl's body, determining that the servant's clothes would indeed fit. As she moved to the door following the human, Jordana turned back to Juan. "Have Sebastien send someone to let me know when he's ready to leave. Oh... and don't worry I'm sure you'll find some way to make this up to me." Blue eyes met dark brown, and a knowing look passed from Jordana to Juan.

Liberty had stopped, waiting patiently, and now Jordana motioned her on. As she followed the girl from the room, she plucked at the damp fabric, the smell really beginning to bother her, "I think I'm going to need a shower to get rid of this smell. Why would anyone even think of doing something so stupid." The last sentence was said to herself, as she shook her head, the blonde silk of her hair sliding across her back as she moved.

ooo

It rarely happened that Juan was surprised by anything, but right now it came to pass. The kiss was ferocious and almost painful, yet awakened a dark lust for more, so strong that he had to fight it down then and there in order not to drop the gem in his hands and follow Jordana on the spot. When they exchanged the knowing glance, he knew that the time for his special cat o' nine tails had come. He dearly hoped they would have enough time for this the very same night, and regretted that Jamila did not provide the blood to take precautions for such a deed, simply because she was not the right vintage. They would have to take Rafe to his haven again. Well, if the boy was to stay with them for a longer period – which was Juan's intention – he would have to get used to his master's quirks and habits anyway, even if they were gross.

He manoeuvred Jamila out of the small room and up the stairs, until they came to the hotel room Sebastien had put at their disposal the night before. The girl was docile now, she obeyed and moved gracefully just the way he knew Nicos' people were trained, and she even stood still in front of him after discarding her ruined dress, just because he was staring at her once more, totally entranced by her heavenly shape. "You will not fight again," he finally said, tearing himself from his reverie once more.

"No, I will behave," Jamila answered, and she looked as if she did this more out of her own free will than because of his power; at least she gave the very convincing impression that this was the case. He remembered Nicos clearly, even if the last time they met was more than 120 years ago. The powerful slave master with Greek roots, Egyptian features and an almost slick French demeanour would stay imprinted in his mind forever. At Nicos' place, Juan had met human beings of such an ethereal beauty as he would not have thought possible. His servants would also carry an easiness about them, together with a freedom of will and an amount of power unusually high for a servant, which was going hand in hand with their pride due to the fact that Nicos owned them.

He had stayed with him only for a fortnight, and yet it was Nicos who had shown Juan that there did indeed exist a large amount of pleasures even for those who did not feel; or rather, who had the impression they did not feel, up to then. Juan shook his head and laughed softly. It was a mystery why the great slave master would let Jamila go, but maybe the mystery would be solved before they got rid of her. Anyway, Howard would be delighted, and he would not dream of what he got himself into by taking a servant like Jamila. Lucky for him that the effect of Nicos' blood did not last forever.

When Juan touched Jamila, however, her temper rose once more, in spite of her promise, and she tried to get away from him, scratching and kicking. She would only calm down when he used his powers anew. He already had an idea of how drained he would be by the end of the night, and he prayed that his two couriers would come back to him as soon as possible. Leading the beautiful servant to the shower, in turn struggling with her and staring her down, he set to work and only took a break when the water finally run clear.

ooo

As the blonde vampire followed the servant through the hotel, the human looked back several times to make sure Jordana was still there. And each time she gave the vampire that same genuine smile that said she was content with life in general. Jordana was guessing it was that same happiness that led to the audacious wink the other night. 'And why shouldn't she be happy with her life?' the blonde thought as they stepped into Liberty's room. It was obvious that Juan took care of his servants, very good care.

Liberty walked through the room, turning on lights as she went, until she stopped at an open door, "The bathroom is in here. I'm sure you'll want that shower before you pick out something to wear." There was that smile again, as Liberty's eyes met Jordana's, "And please help yourself to anything else you need."

With a quick thanks, Jordana moved into the plush bathroom already unbuttoning the ruined shirt and dropping it into the sink. She slid the tight leather from her lower body, then stepped into the shower turning it on full blast. It took some scrubbing for the gasoline smell to dissipate, but soon Jordana was as satisfied as she was going to get, and turning off the water stepped out. Quickly drying off with one of the large towels placed beside the shower, the blonde then wrapped it around her body.

She was standing in front of the mirror, towel securely covering her, applying a bit of dark shadow to her eyes when the door opened. Jordana saw Liberty walk up behind her, and stop, "Is there anything else...I can offer you, Jordana?" she asked, their eyes meeting in the mirror. Jordana turned, slowly watching as the girl reached out, running a warm finger up her arm, then leaning in. It wasn't a conscious thought, just suddenly they were kissing. Liberty pricked her tongue on one of Jordana's fangs flavouring the kiss with her blood, inciting a rising hunger in the blonde. A hunger the young vampire couldn't resist, as she broke the kiss. Jordana felt the servant in her arms stiffen as her fangs punctured the vein, but soon she moaned, relaxing against the blonde, her arms wrapping tightly around the vampire.

ooo

It had not been a difficult task to see to the four servants his father had brought along; including the new one called Raphael. Sebastien had been sitting in one corner of the spacious hotel room, listening to their careless and shallow conversation, and wondering if every human in the world used the same strange turns and idioms to express their affection; or, how his father would have put it, to break the ice. Be it as it may, Raphael integrated easily. He soon seemed to make friends with Giorgio, the other guy, and Jacqueline and Liberty were also doing their best to make him feel at home.

Sebastien did not contradict when Liberty told him she wanted to go downstairs again and look how far the two Vampire had succeeded in disarming the new one. He was not at all worried, for he would have sensed if anything went wrong. Now that Liberty had been gone for some time, though, he wondered what was going on. Right at that moment, he could hear Jamila scream from, if he was not very much mistaken, his own room, and the rapid muting of the cry confirmed that Juan was getting the upper hand of her. When the three servants looked at him in surprise, Sebastien rested his arms on his knees and folded his hands. "No need to panic," he said in his usual calm and self-controlled way. "The other new ones might be in an uproar because of the noise, though." Addressing Jacqueline he added, "You will see to it that they stay quiet."

He then nodded at Rafe and Giorgio. "Stay here until I come back." In spite of the brevity of Sebastien's words, Giorgio winked at him and answered, "Sure thing, boss. I'll take good care of Rafe here." Confirming this with another short nod, Sebastien got up from his chair and went outside. He looked into his own room first and found Juan standing by the shower cubicle, one foot in the tub, dripping with water and foam, and holding on to a still struggling Jamila. "I take it you will not have the time to meet Howard today," Sebastien remarked, and at the look he got from his father retreated without further comment. In the passageway again, he shortly hesitated where to go, but something made him turn towards Liberty's room. Out of habit, he opened the door without knocking.

It did not surprise him much to see the two women standing in a tight embrace, his father's new companion feeding from Liberty. As long as Juan did not direct differently, Jordana had all the freedom she wanted, no pun intended, with Sebastien being the last to interfere. While he stood there watching the two women, though, he heard a strange sensation knock on his mind's door; something he had not felt in his whole un-life. Unable to categorize this impression, he quickly discarded it and cleared his throat. When he had what he interpreted as some attention, he said. "It is time for us to leave, Miss Jordana."

ooo

It was no wonder Liberty was taken such good care of by her master. Her blood was amazingly good. Most humans had much the same flavour, but occasionally a human would have blood of a slightly different taste. In some it was wondrous and some it was bitter and vile, but this servant definitely had the first kind. Jordana heard the cleared throat behind her and with a faint popping sound released the suction she had on the human girl's neck. A small sigh escaped as she nuzzled the girl's neck closing the puncture wounds with the swipe of her tongue.

_"It is time for us to leave, Miss Jordana."  
_  
Sebastien's measured tone broke the silence of the room, and as Jordana pulled back only far enough to see Liberty's face, she noticed the sated look in the girl's eyes, a hint of a smile curving her lax lips. The vampire, however didn't remove her embracing arms, only looked at the man over her bare shoulder. But the only thing his cold, smooth features did was inflame Jordana. "Hmmm...are you sure? I think we still have plenty of time." She couldn't resist the dig, wondering what it took to shake the other vampire, "Want to join us, Sebastien? Could we quicken your blood...or is it permanently filled with ice?"

She'd only known him for two nights, but Jordana wanted to see that dark gaze flare with fire, life, anything other then the hard, calculated look he always wore. She'd asked Juan if there was anything that made Sebastien happy, but now she wondered if there was anything that ever made him feel. Liberty was kissing down the side Jordana's neck, and she leaned in, giving in to the servant, but her eyes never left Sebastien's face as she waited for his answer, which she already suspected would be negative.

ooo

During his career in managing the different houses of pleasure, playing lieutenant because of his father's perpetual apostasy, Sebastien had seen all varieties of grouping, posing, and playing he could have possibly imagined – or at least some one else could have imagined. And he had been involved in quite a few of them, if the situation required this, to show his superiority and to keep the employees docile. Nothing ever came out of this, except for their nutritional value. Yet he had somehow been touched by the way the two women were standing there. This, however, was just a passing fancy, and in no way stirring his countenance. What with Jordana being that hot-blooded, he had wondered from the first time they met why Juan felt such a great fascination with her.

What puzzled him, though, was the fact that he could sense her intentions seemed genuine and honest, and in spite of the blaze in her eyes and her doubtable parole, her manners were almost gentile. Liberty, in contrast to the Vampire, had long since given up trying to move him; her blood was all he needed, she got a ride, no bonus extras, thank you. But Jordana addressed him, invited him, and of course teased him like so many others before her had done, and she was… different. Maybe it was a compliment that she bid him join them, but: maybe it was also a trap. They were about to meet a guy who had also grown up on the streets, and who knows, maybe Juan had not calculated the risk of two of the same kind meeting, together with a case filled with a million dollars.

Sebastien remained standing motionless, undecided what to answer. No, the way she looked, the way Juan had talked about her, it would all make no sense if she tried to lure them into their misfortune. He would keep an eye one her, yes, and otherwise treat her as politely as possible. He could only learn from the others, just like his grandfather had told him. In addition, the prospect of Liberty's blood was always enticing, but he had had his share already earlier this night, and further indulgence had to be postponed. Folding his hands in front of him (maybe as a late tribute to the old man), he said: "Why, thank you, Miss Jordana. Maybe another night. But right now, we do not have enough time left. We do not want to let Howard wait."

ooo

A tinkling sound erupted into the room as Jordana laughed. The cat and mouse game continued, it seemed. "It seems we can't entice Bastien with our charms, Liberty," she said pulling back from the servant. The blonde had purposely used Juan's nickname, and she gave him a sizzling sidelong glance, as she removed herself from the other girls embrace. "Thank you, for everything Liberty. But it seems playtime's over."

Still wrapped in the bath towel, Jordana grabbed the leather pants, then smiled at the girl, "If you'd bring me something to wear with these, I'll get dressed." Without another word or glance at the man standing across the room, the blonde let the towel drop, and began pulling the skin-tight leather up her body. Liberty returned, holding out a corset style matching leather top. "I think this will look sexy with the pants," she smiled, her eyes moving down the Vampire's body, then back up.

It took only minutes longer, and even though Jordana could feel Sebastien's impatience, she knew he watched, while she ignored him. The top fit as snugly as the pants, laced and tied in the front, leaving a bit of her pale stomach, and the glittering diamond at her navel showing. Moving back in front of the mirror, Jordana brushed her hair, letting her eyes dart to the waiting man. Had she sensed a moment's hesitation, at her offer before it was politely rejected? Or had it been her imagination? It was something the blonde was going to have to ponder another time, and she turned with a brilliant smile directed at Sebastien. "I'm all yours, lets go."


	6. Chapter 6

_For disclaimer see chapters 1 and 2 _

* * *

Chapter 6 

Liberty pouted when she realized that the match was over before it really started, however the next moment she flashed her smile at Jordana once more, then went to fetch the top. Coming back with the little piece of clothing, she noticed the little mind game apparently going on between the two vampires, laughed and said, addressing Jordana, "You're always welcome, dear. But if I'm not needed here any longer, I'll go see if I can help Jacqueline." She through the blonde a knowing glance, then squeezed her way around Sebastien, who was still standing in the doorway, breathed a kiss on his cheek and hurried along the passageway. He remained unmoved by the touch, his eyes fixed on Jordana.

He knew the blonde was trying to provoke him. She stood in the middle of the room, unashamed of her bareness, then took her time to get ready, obviously enjoying herself greatly. And again, the little unfamiliar sensation made itself known, trying to surface, while at the same time a small warning flag rose in his mind, and he called himself to reason. Games were for children, he was not in the least as infantile as his father could be, and there was nothing more important than business. When Jordana said that she was all his, he shut down his input circuits, fixing his eyes on the glittering thing at her navel, then closing them slowly, like he used to do when he needed to reboot his mind. When he opened his eyes again, they bore their usual coolness.

"Good. If you would like to follow me." He took the lead and went downstairs. Timothy was back in his room, busily trying to remove the mess that Jamila had made, and Sebastien stepped around him without a word. He then bent to some kind of built-in safe, dialled the right numbers, and extracted a suitcase. His eyes flashed form the safe to Jordana, and he thought, just like he had told his father the other night, that it was irresponsible to keep such a high amount of money in such a comparatively simple safe; Juan, however, had laughed at him, because no one knew, and no one would suspect the money there. Shaking his head at the memory of innumerable little discussions like this, Sebastien straightened up again, securing the case at his wrist with the chain provided.

"Go help Mr Lavalle when you are ready with cleaning up," he ordered Timothy, who gave a confirming grunt. Sebastien turned to look at Jordana. They were partners now, and he would treat her like that until she made him change his mind. "We will take my car," he said, more as an introduction then an explanation. "I do not trust Howard. I have some light weaponry in the trunk, but I do hope we won't need them. However, you should know that it is there." He scanned her, trying to see any changes, but there were none. All he could do was trust her. "Very well. Come." This time, he let Jordana go first, and when they had left the hotel, he walked by her side. At the rear, there was a small parking lot. Here, his black 1968's Jaguar XJ 6 was waiting for them to get in. After another moment's hesitation, he took out the keys and threw them at Jordana. "You drive."

ooo

"Good. If you would like to follow me."

A smirk crossed Jordana's features, as she moved in step with Sebastien. Her eyes moved down his back, lingering for some moments on his derriere, assessing the goods under the clothing. Amusing herself, she wondered what he'd say if he knew, but sucked in her bottom lip to keep from chuckling.

In a very business like manner, Sebastien made his way straight to a small safe, opening it to pull out a brief case. As it came into view he snapped the chain securely around his wrist, then looked over at the blonde. "We will take my car...I do not trust Howard. I have some light weaponry in the trunk, but I do hope we won't need them. However, you should know that it is there." His dark gaze searched Jordana's face for a moment, and she knew instinctively he was wondering if he could trust her.

He seemed to decide he could, "Very well. Come." And with a motion for her to proceed him they left the hotel. Sebastien moved to the young Vampire's side as they crossed the parking lot, heading toward a vintage black jag. "You drive." Those words couldn't have surprised Jordana more, and she raised an eyebrow, her eyes swinging to her companion, in time to catch the keys. "Ok, sure thing," she chuckled. "Nice car, I like your...taste."

Jordana slid behind the wheel, adjusting the seat for her frame, then smiled at the man seated next to her. "We may not be able to trust Howard. And he or his bodyguards might try something just to screw with us. But he is a businessman, and I don't think he's going to seriously do anything to really fuck things up with Juan. From what I've gathered this is an ongoing deal." She gave Sebastien a shrug, "But I could be wrong, so prepared is good."

ooo

The recognizable sound of Sebastien's jaguar carried to Juan's ears. He imagined beautiful Jordana elegantly sitting by his son's side and could not help but feel the first hot rivulets of jealousy run down his spine. No, but of course, he had sent her, he had literally begged for her to do this. And yet… He knew he could trust Sebastien, but he also knew for sure that in this special regard, there was no way to trust Jordana. The outlook for their next hours together, though, once the deal had been made, and the fact that Sebastien never took any interest in any kind of beauty, comforted him to some degree.

At that moment, Jamila leaned in, pressing her wet body against his, plastering the already damp leather trousers and the shirt on his skin. He cocked his eyebrow in surprise, almost automatically putting his arms around her delicate body. Well, why be jealous? Regarding prospects, he had not underestimated his new servant, and here was obviously a treat at hand to spend his time with until Jordana was within reach again. And right then, when he was about to lean in, too, he felt her fingernails scratching over his cheek, leaving four red marks for a moment, together with a fiery pain. The little wild cat…!

The whole procedure was taking on the form of dilly-dallying. Now she kissed him and whispered words well known to him: that she liked him, that she was his, that she wanted to stay with him forever. He played along, but the suspicion grew in his mind that this strange fast turn of tides, this eccentric temper, was why Nicos had wanted to get rid of her. To Juan, it was delightful, however she was not his vintage, so, after all, he would not have much fun spending the night with her, in spite of her splendid extérieur and all the extras. Howard would love it.

Just when they were getting along, Juan remembered Raphael. Breaking the kiss they had been involved in for the last couple of minutes, he had to try and make sure that Jamila stayed stable now, and maybe they could share her for an hour or two. He wanted to see the boy. Holding her still with his left arm, he palmed out one of his special pills with his right, then popped the pill into his own mouth and blew it into Jamila's with another fierce kiss. The result came fast. He knew that it probably took no more than one dose of the drug to make her an addict, but that was Howard's problem, not his.

When she had changed from wild to affectionate, he scooped her up, naked as she was, and carried her to the other room, where Giorgio and Raphael were sitting on the bed, talking. The boys looked up in surprise when Juan dropped his precious burden, the same right now giggling and struggling playfully, between them. "This," Juan said, "is Jamila. I think she needs some… distraction." While the boys were still staring, she got up on her hands and knees, and first purred, then giggled. Juan sat down next to Rafe and gave him the same "special" kiss. The drug had its desired effect, and the boy went along with the show. For the time being, Juan remained sitting there, content with watching.

ooo

Sitting there with his hands folded between his knees, Sebastien listened to Jordana and tried not to wince at the temperamental way she changed gears. When it was finally his turn, he said, "Thank you for your mental support, Miss Jordana." There was no trace of irony in his tone of voice; there was actually no trace of anything else in his voice either, apart from its usual baritone profundity. "From what father told me, I had assumed that Howard was reasonable, but his men lack a certain professionalism, and my assumption is confirmed by your observation." He kept his eyes fixed upon the windscreen while talking to her. "However, we should try to remain as composed as possible." The words were aimed at her temper rather than his own, but he felt the necessity to make a statement here.

She smelled good, wafts of her perfume carrying to his nose especially when they went around a bend. He had grown aware of that perfume before, and it was obviously resistant to showers. What was more, the hot-blooded girl was looking his way whenever the traffic allowed it, and he could sense a strange attraction radiating from her, while he had no clue how to deal with it without making a complete fool of himself. He doubtlessly should confine himself to behave commensurate with the businesslike situation, no more. Of course he should.

"You know the way?" he said stiffly. "I never had the chance to throw a glance at the house, but father told me it is a good deal, and the area beautiful." He trusted his father in that regard, much more than himself. When it came to taste, Juan went with the splendid, whereas Sebastien preferred the solid. In one slow fell swoop the thought hit home and Sebastien grew aware that Jordana combined both.

He could not keep his eyes from widening for the fraction of a second, cleared his throat and looked outside the window, concentrating on the passing rows of houses. It was just like Javier had warned him: if he did not pay attention, he would end like his father – glorious, maybe, but also drug-eaten, decadent, and immoral. With might and main Sebastien would prevent this from happening. After all, she was only a woman; Juan's woman.

ooo

It was sad really, Jordana thought, as she listened to Sebastien speak. He had an eternity to enjoy immortal life, and yet didn't seem to enjoy anything. His voice held no life, and he didn't even look at her while they talked. "From what father told me, I had assumed that Howard was reasonable, but his men lack a certain professionalism, and my assumption is confirmed by your observation...However, we should try to remain as composed as possible."

The car sped up, hugging the curves as it slid through the night, and as she drove Jordana glanced at her companion, every so often. And now she chuckled, knowing his words were meant for her. "Well I'm certain you'll have no problem remaining composed...But I can't guarantee the same from them.." She laughed, flashing Sebastien a brilliant smile, "Or, me for that matter if things get...complicated." Jordana didn't apologize for the way she was. Not to anyone, and certainly not to a man with no fire in his blood.

"You know the way?" She heard her companion ask, as he told her he'd never been to the house they were about to buy. His voice dropped off, as if Sebastien had gotten lost in thought, and Jordana let the silence lengthen, until she heard him clear his throat. If the blonde could have read her companion's thoughts she would have been shocked to the core, however she mistook the quiet as Sebastien preparing for his first meeting with Howard. "It'll be fine, you know. Howard'll only be out to piss us off for his own fun...if he does anything at all."

The miles flew past, and eventually the city melted away and they were driving along the more sparsely populated section of Miami. And as they turned into the drive, heading toward the large mansion, Jordana found herself wanting to give comforting words to Sebastien. How did that happen. He wasn't the flamboyant, fun loving hedonist, his father was. No, Sebastien made no attempt at even giving the impression he cared about anything. So why did Jordana find herself attracted to him. Opposites, maybe? It was the only thing that she could think of to explain the unexplainable.

ooo

"Howard is a street urchin, what do you expect?" Sebastien said before realizing that this remark did not exactly find a willing ear. He sensed her spines rising and knew he was to say something for an excuse, but lacking the right words shut his mouth and eyes for a moment instead, like he always used to do until he found an appropriate remark. Before Jordana could retort anything, though, and the whole situation would go down the drain, he quickly said, "I must apologize, Miss Jordana. I took the liberty of regarding you as an equal companion for this our deed. However, I realize that I am lacking the experience needed for an equally appropriate rhetoric."

Turning his face towards her, he looked her straight in the eye, but he did not manage a smile. "There are always exceptions. It was not in the least my intention to insult you, my remark was aimed at Howard only, and I felt obliged to agree." He knew she was still mad at him, or at least interpreted the way she looked at him accordingly. Just this once, he wished he had his father's elegant fluency of words, especially when it came to grovelling and worming his way into someone's confidence. He could have told her that he needed her, but of course that was not the case, he could easily be doing this on his own, and maybe he would be better off altogether without her. No need to make any concessions.

And yet…It did not feel nice to have her sit by his side, radiating rage. It did not feel nice to know that, at the same time, she was driving his car… The little strange sensation tried to make itself noticeable once more that he should indeed treat her more nicely, but just at that moment the car swooped onto a private car park, the tyres screeching, and Sebastien, apart from gratefully realizing that his car was still intact, recognized the house he had only seen on photographs up till then. Giving himself a mental shove, he turned to talk to Jordana once more. "Let us eliminate this little disagreement of ours for the moment, and set to work. We can always dispute at another time. Just like you said: It will be fine…" He wished he was back home in Versailles.

ooo

"Howard is a street urchin, what do you expect?"

This time the silence in the car was not pleasant. It stretched out as the words rang again in the blonde's head. There were no more cute little glances at her companion, or teasing remarks, instead she focused on where she was driving. And when, again his voice cut through the quiet, she felt no obligation to look his way, only listening as he spoke of an apology. "There are always exceptions. It was not my intention to insult you, I merely felt obliged to agree."

'Oh yeah, don't let the fact escape you that he's full of ice, no matter how cute it is to try and make him squirm,' Jordana reminded herself, before her blue eyes turned in his direction. "Really?" there was a sarcastic edge to her voice, "It is what I expect. I expect Howard's boys to act like the pigs they are. I expect Howard to act surprised, and I expect you too take it all in stride...flawlessly emotionless, as always. Did I get anything wrong?" she asked that last mostly to herself, not expecting an answer.

The car came to a stop, and the girl swung the door open, stepping gracefully out. When she moved around the car, Sebastien turned toward her, "Let us eliminate this little disagreement of ours for the moment, and set to work. We can always dispute at another time. Just like you said: It will be fine…" The only answer that came from the blonde was a shrug of her shoulders, before she turned her back to her companion and began to walk toward the house.

Sebastien was the only one playing in the dark, and Jordana smirked as soon as he couldn't see her. Because she already knew some version of the games her fellow vampire were most likely to play tonight, not that she had any intention of turning away from Sebastien in favour of Howard's side. The thing he didn't know was how seriously Jordana took her loyalties and just because these Vampire were closer to her than her companion didn't mean she'd join them. The scoundrels of the world just weren't that close knit, and only real danger would draw them together as one.

ooo

It was difficult for Sebastien to understand the different messages Jordana kept sending. On the one hand, she still radiated some kind of anger, or so it seemed, but on the other hand he could not sense anything of the like about her and was unable to decipher what it was instead. The shrug signalled at least insignificance of the matter, or so he thought, and thus he discarded the whole thing as trifle. Once she turned her back at him, he immediately recovered from this annoying and minor perturbation and got out of the car in his usual composed and cool manner.

This time, they were not being welcomed by one of Howard's servants, but instead by another vampire who greeted them coolly and walked in front of them until they reached the "office." The house looked terribly run down; for a moment Sebastien asked himself how it was possible for any reasonable thinking being to let something that promising get as dilapidated as this. They had already made deals with rascals who treated their property with much more care, but then again he was not in the least interested what deeper reasons there were for anything they did. The house smelled bad. There was so much to do.

Howard was waiting for them behind his desk. When he saw Sebastien turn up as a replacement for Juan, he stood up with a squint and addressed Jordana without deigning to look at the vampire. "Who is this, and where is Mr Lavalle?" This time, though, he made no move to kiss her hand. Sebastien answered in her place, obviously oblivious to the fact that he did not exactly behave nicely again. "I am Sebastien, Mr Lavalle's son. I come on his behalf, and I have been instructed to tell you that he is inconsolable about being unable to attend. He is, however, perfectly confident in my ability to complete this contract, particularly because I have power as his attorney."

In order to emphasize his words, he lifted the brief case attached to his wrist. He did not like the way Howard looked at him, and he liked even less the way his two bodyguards were holding themselves. They exuded hostility; which was probably the only point in which Sebastien would eagerly agree with them, vice versa. For the first time this night, he was glad that Jordana was with him, and only now he looked at her.

ooo

Following the vampire sent to meet them into the house, Jordana looked around her curiously. It wasn't that she hadn't seen some of it last night, but her attention had been more focused on other things. Now it's shabby appearance had her shaking her head slightly. Howard was sitting behind the desk as the pair entered, however when his eyes landed on Sebastien he quickly got to his feet. "Who is this, and where is Mr Lavalle?"

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees, and before the blonde could answer, she heard Sebastien tell, no inform the man opposite to him who he was, lifting the briefcase for proof. Jordana turned her back to Sebastien, watching the bodyguards instead. If it were a question of trust, she trusted Sebastien at her back before these gentlemen.

And now she ignored her companion altogether, instead watching their host, as he finally returned to his chair. "Someone told me, Howard, how much you appreciate black leather...And here I dressed up just for you. Yet you haven't even noticed. Should I be insulted?" She'd been smiling as she leaned against the corner of his desk, and now gave him a husky laugh. "Why don't we ease up on the hostility, have your men stand down… and get this deal done. You know the price Juan's paying is more than reasonable."

ooo

There could be no doubt Howard was leering at her. At one nod of his, the two goons formerly introduced as Banks and Maynard gave up their stance by the door and sat down in two chairs right and left of it. Maynard, however (the oppressed nobleman with the eye patch), looking worse than the other night, followed the order only reluctantly and did not relax in the least. Had he been human, he would have been sweating.

"Hostility? No hostility on our side, really…," Howard said with a drawl, "Besides, I can easily guess who this someone might be. But I bet you, in change, don't have a clue who he is…" He rubbed his hands together as if he was washing them of the matter and had obvious pleasure in ignoring Sebastien, too. "A little birdie twittered to me about something quite unforgivable that happened in Mr Lavalle's past. I could use this against him, you know…"

Before he could go on, Sebastien looked him straight into the eye and without turning his glance away put the brief case down on the desk, just a little bit harder than necessary. His expression, though, was still indifferent. "The contract has already been brought to a close, and we will certainly keep our part of the deal. Let us get down to business, Mr Howard," he said, still holding his stare, his words framed with icicles, "I am perfectly convinced that you do not give anything about your business partner's past, especially if the business you are involved in is of such a high value to you. Is it no so?" The question was a rhetorical one, and the words stood out like spikes.

Sebastien actually tried to fiddle with his mind; which was ridiculous, but highly annoying. Under different circumstances, it would have been enough for Howard to actually split the proverbial seam, business or not. But even if he lacked a certain amount of empathy and quite a lot of patience, he knew his limits. He therefore changed the topic with astounding speed, while going on to ignore the strange businessman altogether who had introduced himself as Mr Lavalle's 'attorney.' "Black leather, yeah. It suits you," he said to Jordana, trying to put up a smile and leaning a bit into Jordana's direction. "And I do like it. Now, what I'd like to know is why you still want to be involved with these… gentlemen. It can't be the good screwing only. You'd be so much better off with me, what a waste…"

ooo

Jordana continued to sit casually on the corner of Howard's desk, while Sebastien sat in the chair behind her. She listened with rapt attention as the boss hinted at scandalous doings in Juan's past. And although it piqued her curiosity, the blonde doubted anyone in the room had a lily-white history. It did seem that Sebastien hastily tried to change the subject, so he must have some ideas about what the threat could be based on.

Howard's eyes had turned to Sebastien as he spoke, urging that they get down to business. But now they returned to Jordana, ignoring the man's request. "Black leather, yeah. It suits you...And I do like it. Now, what I'd like to know is why you still want to be involved with these… gentlemen. It can't be the good screwing only. You'd be so much better off with me, what a waste…"

A lyrical laugh escaped the blonde's curved lips, and then she spoke, "Who's to say why or how we become attracted to those we do." She gave a little shrug of one bare shoulder, "An intriguing idea, but I think you and I would kill each other. Too much hot tempered blood." Jordana gave Howard a wink that of course Sebastien couldn't see from his seat. "Now if you'll sign the paper work, and put poor Sebastien out of his misery...we can give you all this beautiful money."

ooo

Once again, Sebastien was all at sea. Multifaceted Jordana seemed to pursue a special goal, and only by the looks of it she was dallying with Howard. Conversely, she did not radiate the same ease with which she had talked to Sebastien in his car. If truth be told, the way she was talking to Howard, one might have thought that it was Juan himself sitting there; apart from the fact that he always seemed to believe what he said, whereas Jordana felt… off. She was actually playing a role. Maybe this was the real reason why his father was so infatuated with Jordana: he loved players. Sebastien felt almost proud that he had found out about it before Howard even had a clue. She was playing with a gangster boss; a dangerous, yet interesting game.

The aforementioned vampire kept on chatting with her without taking his eyes from her, and finally took an expensive pen in his hand, wiggling it theatrically. "See me here sign the receipt for your lovely money. I take it this is a million? Fine. Then he owes me another half. My guys will have the pleasure of counting it." Sebastien opened the chain lock, and Howard handed the proffered briefcase to Banks, continuing to talk. "Meanwhile you can tell me when we'll receive the rest of the payment, the… other part."

It was Sebastien who had to answer this one. "The humans have already arrived, however they are in need of some rest after their long journey. We want you to receive them in their best condition; by tomorrow midnight, at a high probability. The weaponry is also in preparation and will be delivered by the end of the week. Please rest assured that we fulfil all parts of our contract in due course." He looked from Jordana to Howard, ready to get up from his chair, hoping that this would be it, then.

Howard grinned and remained seated. "Too much hot tempered blood?" he repeated, addressing Jordana and ignoring Sebastien once more. "Well, well… One hour with this fellow here might cool you down to fridge level, sweetheart." He actually patted her knee while talking to her. "Whenever you feel like warming up… I'll give you my phone number." There it was again: the Leer.

This time Sebastien would not be ignored. "I would appreciate it, Mr Howard," he said stiffly, "if you'd refrain from crossing the line as long as we are acting on a commercial level." The icicles around his words rowed up like pearls; one could almost hear them tinkle. Howard looked at him, and his expression froze. "You mind your words, Mr know-it-all, or you can forget about our deal," he said through his now clenched teeth. Then his wide mouth split into an artificial grin. "But I had no idea the broad was actually yours."

ooo

Sitting at the edge of Howard's desk, Jordana seemed to be relaxed and enjoying herself, flirting with the other vampire. Even to the point of totally ignoring Sebastien as he handed over the cash, and retrieved the signed paper. Howard seemed satisfied by her companion's answers, and the blonde gave herself an internal sigh. Things were going well, and it looked like she and Sebastien were going to get out of here without any unpleasantness.

Now Howard turned back to the girl, "Too much hot tempered blood? Well, well… One hour with this fellow here might cool you down to fridge level, sweetheart." Jordana chuckled, a slight nod of her head, as he patted her knee, "Whenever you feel like warming up… I'll give you my phone number." If it made the transaction easier, the blonde would let her opposite think the offer a welcome one.

And then it happened. Sebastien had to open his mouth, "I would appreciate it, Mr Howard, if you'd refrain from crossing the line as long as we are acting on a commercial level." Howard's eyes grew cold as his gaze went from Jordana to Sebastien, "You mind your words, Mr know-it-all, or you can forget about our deal...But I had no idea the broad was actually yours."

The blonde's own teeth clenched for a moment while the scoundrel's attention was on the other man. But then she let the smooth, smiling mask slip back in place, and laughed, drawing Howard's attention back to her, "No, Sebastien doesn't like to play. I think he's just watching out for his father's interests." She gave Howard a brilliant smile, leaning forward conspiratorially, "Too cold for my tastes." She hoped that Sebastien understood why she was saying the things she was, however, he had turned her down earlier, and did appear unmoved by much of anything.

ooo

Sebastien could not tell what on earth had made him say that. Whatever it was, it would have nothing to do with jealousy, and the mere idea that Jordana was "his" made him recoil. He was sure of that. Really. However, he had not been aware of the fact that her presence had anything to do with the deal, either. With high probability he had only wanted to make his point, after all Juan cared for her and Sebastien felt responsible. Yes, that was it, and nothing more. Howard simply got him wrong and overreacted.

The way Jordana "felt," though, made Sebastien sit up and take notice. He rewound and replayed the whole conversation in his mind, trying to find out what exactly had happened, and the more he thought about it, the more clearly he recognized that something was indeed going wrong. And yet, he could not put his finger on it. Jordana's contradictory words and behaviour were buzzing through his head:

They had been talking about attraction, and that they would probably kill each other; so far, Sebastien knew for sure it was only a verbal exchange. More important, of course, they had been talking about the business, and this part of the conversation had come to a satisfying close. Then she had mentioned something about putting him out of his misery, and Sebastien being too cold for her and unwilling to play. He knew all that, and she was perfectly right. His father had told him the same innumerable times. And yet – what was the point in mentioning this right now? He was certainly watching out for his father's interest. He always did. He sighed inwardly.

'It's all part of the game,' he could hear his father's voice in his memory. 'You must use words like tennis balls, they go from one court to the other and back, and wherever they go, you just go along and counter.' If it came to that: Sebastien was really good at tennis, but he could not bend his mind around his… balls... Even he realized that this was an extremely bad metaphor. He cleared his throat and remained silent.

Howard, however, answered, once again returning Jordana's smile. "I see you're good at playing, sweetheart. I can only repeat: what a waste on this… lot." His goons had obviously finished counting the money and were taking up their positions by the door, and this time they looked even less relaxed than in the beginning. Especially Banks had a nervous twitch ever since Sebastien had started chiding his boss. He now mumbled something under his breath about being careful not to become the target of their own weaponry.

Howard had excellent hearing, and he shot his employee a warning glance as if to remind him that this was not meant for their guests' ears, whether he himself agreed or not. Nevertheless, he smiled at Jordana again the next moment, folding his hands over the desk and leaning on his elbows to demonstrate just how relaxed and superior he was. (Juan would have been highly entertained by his range of body language and facial expressions, whereas Sebastien merely took note of them and made a mental record of the repetition pattern.) "Well," Howard said. "I'm looking forward to watching you stand by your promise. That's enough for today, gentlemen." Giving Jordana a last pat on her thigh, he got up from his chair, nodding at his goons.

ooo

Jordana heard Sebastien clear his throat, and still she ignored him, in favour of keeping her eyes on Howard. "I see you're good at playing, sweetheart. I can only repeat: what a waste on his… lot." The smile grew into a full blown laugh, "Coming from you that's quite a compliment. Would you expect any less?" With her peripheral vision the blonde noticed the two bodyguards take up positions by the door. The easy conversation didn't seem to be soothing them, and in fact the one seemed even tenser than before.

Of course Howard seemed aware of his men's actions, and shot them a look before returning his gaze to the girl. "Well...I'm looking forward to watching you stand by your promise. That's enough for today, gentlemen." Jordana allowed the pat on her leg, without comment, certain she was missing something, going on between the men at the door and their boss. "Howard, always a pleasure." she said allowing him to take her hand for a moment, before moving away.

The men stood at the door blocking the exit, and the blonde looked back over her shoulder, meeting Howard's eyes with a questioning look, until he gestured for them to move. She hadn't been at all sure they were going to be allowed to leave, just for a moment. But now she relaxed, feeling Sebastien at her back, as they moved out of the office, then out into the balmy night. Jordana had almost let an audible sigh of relief escape when she heard the softly growled words.

"You stink of pimp." It came from Banks, the tall bodyguard, and Jordana turned around her eyes glittering in the moonlight. "And here I wasted a shower, just so I wouldn't offend you," a wicked smirk curved her lips as she stared at the larger man, daring him to make a move. She knew Sebastien was standing close enough to touch, and wondered briefly if he could fight, because it looked like the two bodyguards were spoiling for a brawl. "Course, I shouldn't have bothered...it'd be like calling the kettle black." The man gave her a confused look, and Jordana shook her head before continuing, "since your boyfriend here's a pimp himself." The first hint was the look in his eyes, and she barely had time to move, taking the punch on the shoulder, instead of the jaw. However, it was still a heavy blow sending her reeling before she could get her footing.

ooo

Sebastien was watching the situation from a secluded part of his brain while his body acted after an often-practised routine. This was simply because the transmissions he kept receiving from the parties involved were not only highly diverse; they were going from bad to worse. After a stiff good-bye, he followed Jordana outside, feeling the two bodyguards treading hard on their heels, and his suspicions were confirmed by the open hostility they now conveyed. It made the hair at the nape of his neck stand on end.

When Jordana gave a comment even Juan would not have made in a situation like this one, Sebastien could easily predict the choreography that was to follow: Maynard, the lower class vampire bound by blood to his powerful master, respectfully kept in the background, sneering and obviously enjoying what he saw, whereas Banks moved so fast that Sebastien could hardly see him move at all. Next thing he did see, though, was Jordana falling to the ground. He narrowed his eyes; this, however, was the only change in his expression.

When Sebastien was a child, grandfather Javier had told him many thrilling stories. Most of them involved the condemnation and execution of more or less interesting culprits, and the precise way it was done, for Javier had been working as an executioner for some time, or so he told. (At that time, the word Justicar was quite out of the question). Javier had also taught him the human anatomy, and which areas were most fragile or vulnerable. Little Sebastien had sucked all the knowledge in with an eagerness only children can display, and he had soon been able to execute a dove without a blink. Later, the ability to find the weak points in an opponent had provided not only successful and fast outcomes of innumerable brawls, but it had also earned him his father's surprise and appreciation, for Juan had rarely showed any interest in what Sebastien was capable of.

He was not capable of moving as fast as this goof, but his movements were nevertheless rapid and precise. At the next moment, the black butt of a throwing knife stuck out of Banks' throat, the tall thug's eyes grew wide, his hands groping into thin air, before he went down like an ox. For a moment, it was dead silent, apart from a certain gurgling noise. They were standing there on the car park, Howard was inside the house, obviously nobody else was watching them, Maynard seemed not in the least interested in getting involved in this and remained standing aside, his sneer broadening into a smirk while he polished his fingernails on his sleeve, and the soft night breeze rustled through the leaves of the bushes and trees around them.

When Banks pulled the knife out, still gurgling and unable to speak, Maynard went to him and squatted by his side. "I daresay, my dear fellow," he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "This will surely not kill you. Not this time. Howard won't be amused, though." He took out an immaculate handkerchief and wiped the knife clean, then handed it to Sebastien. Banks was pale and furious, but even he realized that the knife was back in Sebastien's hands, and he didn't feel like making its acquaintance for a second time. Maynard was probably right. The half blind vampire looked away from his mutilated companion and talked to Sebastien. "You know that Howard will get your ass for this eventually… Sir," he said almost amiably.

While Maynard was talking, Sebastien helped Jordana up, looked her in the eye in an attempt to calm her down and left his hands round her waist for a moment, just to make sure she was able to stand. When the other Vampire retrieved his knife, he let go of her, snapped the knife back into its neck holster and replied, but never taking his eyes off Jordana even once. "I should not think so. We were attacked and consequently defended ourselves." He brushed some dust off Jordana's shoulders, still looking at her. "To even mention the whole matter would be a waste of time, and what is more, you would make a fool of yourself. If you will excuse us now, we have other duties to attend." He broke the eye contact, closing his eyes slowly just once in order to reset, then strode to the other side of the car and opened the door, waiting for Jordana to get in.

ooo

Jordana felt herself falling, and the next thing she knew she was on her butt, looking up at the three men. The sneer on Banks face as he looked down at her, was suddenly wiped clean. Surprise bloomed over those satisfied features, the hilt of a knife suddenly sticking out of his throat, as he began clawing at it. And as Jordana watched he seemed to crumple, falling to the ground not far from where she sat.

Her gaze swung from the incapacitated bodyguard to Maynard, then to Sebastien. Had Sebastien? Jordana took a moment to wrap her mind around the fact that Sebastien had defended her. And while she was still sitting on the ground, thinking, the other bodyguard moved to his companion, bending down to talk to Banks. "I daresay, my dear fellow," he said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "This will surely not kill you. Not this time. Howard won't be amused, though."

Ignoring the pair, Jordana looked up when Sebastien closed in, helping her to stand, then gazing back at her for some seconds. His arm went around her, making sure she was able to keep her feet. The girl was quite confused as he continued to watch her, while speaking to Maynard, his eyes never leaving her face. Was this the same ice-cold man? Now she wasn't sure. "I should not think so. We were attacked and consequently defended ourselves...To even mention the whole matter would be a waste of time, and what is more, you would make a fool of yourself. If you will excuse us now, we have other duties to attend." To even confuse matters more, he even went so far as to brush the dirt off Jordana's shoulders, before closing his eyes briefly.

Wisely Jordana kept her mouth shut, following the dark haired man to the car, and slipping in as he held the door. His actions more then Banks had stunned her into silence, and Jordana kept her eyes on Sebastien as he moved around the car, getting in behind the wheel. "Remind me, not to get on your bad side," she smiled at him. The engine purred to life, and the car began backing out of the parking space, the blonde's eyes moving to the men outside watching. The Jag rolled past, and from her safe position inside, Jordana blew Banks a kiss. Her laughter filled the car as it picked up speed down the long drive.

ooo

Not in the least touched by Jordana's bewilderment, Sebastien smoothly drove the car out onto the road and kept on driving silently for a while. He ignored her last remark and remained facing straight forward, apart from a glance into the rear window at regular intervals. He even avoided glimpsing her out of the corner of his eyes. When they were on the main road, though, and her melodious laughter rang in his ears, he said. "I take it you are unharmed by this unfortunate incident." It was a statement, more than anything else, and he held back the fact that he would have called his father's wrath upon him, had he not intervened; and getting on _Juan's_ bad side was definitely not something he aspired. Of course, his good manners obliged him to defend a lady, anyway, but he trusted that these two motives were all the reasons he could possibly possess for helping her.

The houses were flying by, and once more the vicinity of the ocean made itself noticeable, its fragrance carried by the wind. With Jordana sitting by his side, radiating the same good mood she had shown at the beginning of their little venture, but fortunately keeping her mouth shut, Sebastien felt – for lack of a better word – utterly calm and relaxed, apart from his basic tension, and only a small sensation of something best described as a tiny spot of warmth, slowly spreading from a remote corner of his soul, could have hinted at the doubtable occurrence that he might indeed be about to develop something close to emotion. But even if he had known about this highly improbable tendency, he would rather have died than admit it.

ooo

The car sped out of the drive and back on to the main road. And Jordana had turned her gaze to the passing scenery, until she heard Sebastien speak. "I take it you are unharmed by this unfortunate incident." There wasn't the slightest hint of concern in his voice, in fact it wasn't even a question. But that didn't stop the girl from answering anyway. She turned her head, so she could watch the motionless profile. "Banks hits like a girl. He only got the drop on me because I wasn't expecting it."

She watched Sebastien for several more minutes, but he never once turned his own gaze to her, and eventually with a slight shrug, she continued, unable to keep the teasing note from her voice, "I didn't know you cared, Bastien. Or that you were so...handy with a knife." A low throaty chuckle filled the silent interior, "Makes me wonder what other surprises you're hiding away."

The scent of ocean air filtered into the car, and Jordana looked back out her window. "I don't suppose we could stop somewhere for a little bit, before we head back to the hotel. I'm sure Juan's found plenty to entertain himself, and isn't waiting around for us." She glanced back at the man driving. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy Juan, but suddenly she wasn't ready for this to end quite yet. While Juan incited darker thoughts and desires, Sebastien's presence was what? soothing, relaxing. Jordana shook her head letting it fall back to the headrest, maybe the hit had been harder than she thought.

* * *

To be continued… 


	7. Chapter 7

_For disclaimer see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 7

Her words echoed in his mind. Sebastien perceived a sort of pride quite familiar to him and realized once again why his father had taken fancy to her so fast; although they were from different bloodlines, they maybe were not so unlike after all, or at least met at some point. He even forgot to chide her in his thought for breaking the silence; rare occurrence, too. But surprises? He was not hiding anything, he was quite sure of that; everything in his mind was well ordered and in its place. And, he would not grow weary of reassuring himself, of course he did not care for her, either.

"I must agree that Banks' fighting techniques were lacking art as well as skill," he said, finally feeling obliged to give his time and attention to Jordana; after all, she was a guest, and good manners called for a certain politeness. "However he will not make the same mistake twice. I am confident he will have a more reliable weapon than his fist at hand next time." He also knew for sure that he did not need to explain to her what his words implied. Jordana would be bright enough to realize that there was to be a next time; probably quite soon.

Imagining that his father was having what he called "a feast" at the hotel right now, he had no desire to join him, either. Yes, Juan always found plenty to entertain himself, but those things did not amuse Sebastien; they were so unnecessary. He immediately chided himself for thoughts like these. After all, he held his father in high esteem, whatever his strange ideas of un-life might be. He knew that Juan, multifaceted as he was, had indeed different sides, too; things they had in common. There were times of silence between them, of a mental unison Sebastien had never experienced elsewhere, and of all things, those were the moments most dear to him. Right now, though, he did not miss his father in the least.

When they came to a small café at one corner, close to the beach, he drove the car to a secluded corner of the parking lot and stopped the engine, then turned his head towards Jordana. "You are right," he said, and as always, his face did not give away any emotion at all. "A little interlude will do no harm, and we are both in need of some rest." He could not keep his eyes from giving her a minute once over before turning away, swiftly got out of the car and walked towards the railing that confined the little car park. Grasping the cool iron with both hands, he looked over the dark beach and watched the waves rolling and breaking on the shore.

ooo

Jordana closed her eyes, not expecting a reply from her companion. Not only didn't she expect an answer, she didn't think he'd actually even give her suggestion a second thought. "I must agree that Banks' fighting techniques were lacking art as well as skill...However he will not make the same mistake twice. I am confident he will have a more reliable weapon than his fist at hand next time." She heard Sebastien's words, as she sat totally relaxed, and without opening her eyes made a comment of her own. "Mmmm, perhaps. But I don't see how Howard expects to stay in business with Juan if these hostilities continue."

Conversation lapsed, and the only sound in the car was the hum of the tires moving over the pavement. Jordana wondered lazily what thoughts were running through Sebastien's mind, a slight smile curving the corners of her mouth as a phrase popped into her head, 'Still waters...' Just what deep thoughts are you thinking, Bastien?, she wanted to ask, but knew it would be for nothing. He'd never give an answer to that question.

The car came to a stop, and the blonde's eyes snapped open, expecting to see the hotel looming in front of them. However, she was surprised when she saw they had pulled into a small parking lot, and parked at the far end. Jordana felt more then saw Sebastien turn in her direction, "You are right...A little interlude will do no harm, and we are both in need of some rest." As he spoke the girl turned so she could see him, noting his expression never once changed, or wavered in any way as his eyes moved over her briefly. Then he was out of the car, walking away towards the railing, with Jordana's gaze following through the window.

"I'll be damned if he doesn't surprise me every time I think I've got him figured out," she mumbled, climbing out of the car to follow. When she caught up, and stopped beside Sebastien, he never broke his scrutiny of the waves crashing onto the beach and Jordana was reluctant to interrupt for several minutes.

The ocean, it never changed, it was the same if you were rich or poor, and growing up in Miami it was always there offering entertainment, or comfort. Finally Jordana broke away from her memories, and morose thoughts, turning to the dark haired vampire beside her. "I'd like to walk the beach, want to join me?"

ooo

He heard the sound of her high heels on the sandy ground, felt her approaching him and was almost surprised that she was standing quietly by his side for some time. Now that Jordana wanted him to join her for a walk, he wondered what she wanted to talk about. They always wanted to talk about something when it came to this, and he had accompanied many a whore after a bad day, listening to their trifling complaints and endless iterations. Although most of the conversations did not differ much from the preceding ones, Sebastien was a good listener. He knew when to make little interjections to show his interest, and he rarely talked back. What is more, he had a tendency to structure the things he heard and at the end offer the structure to the one who had provided him with the input; a habit that was regarded as great help by most of them.

"Of course," he thus said, turning towards Jordana. His glance wandered towards her shoes for an instance, and he asked himself if she would manage to walk through sand in these. She would probably take them off and hold them in her hand, waving them to and fro while she walked. He refrained from offering her his arm, though. Without any tangible reason, he desired not to touch her, nor did he want her to touch him. When he looked at her, he sensed a slight sadness, and he closed his eyes for a moment, as if to appreciate it. Yes, the walk was to become the usual routine, he was quite sure of it.

"Come," he then said and went down the small concrete steps that led to the beach. When she joined him silently, however, he realized he was yet missing the gentle touch of a tender arm, like that of Liberty, or Rosette, or all the other fragile creatures he had been caring for. Their behaviour always substantiated the power he had over his mortal employees, and because of this superiority they behaved. He did perceive, of course, that their little souls had their own little stories, but after all, mortals were so… mortal, their lives so short. As he did not possess anything of the like, he did not really care.

Thus, Sebastien was again grateful when Jordana did not immediately resume to talk, and he hoped the silence would last a while. Her affection, however, was clearly perceptible now. This was not new to him, either, and only for a short moment did he wonder why he would even spend a thought on it. To his amazement, he suddenly longed to hear her voice.

ooo

Jordana didn't care either way if Sebastien came with her or not. It was just nice to not be alone sometimes, and so the reason she'd put forth the offer. She was an independent kind of girl, and even if he'd left she would have found her own way back. But as it stood, he agreed, his "Of course," as he turned toward her, answer enough.

"Come," Sebastien said, leading the way down the narrow steps leading out onto the sand, and Jordana trailed behind stopping at the bottom to kick off her heels. She left them beside the sea wall, not wanting to be encumbered by having to carry them along, then with a sigh buried her toes in the sugar fine sand still warm from the sun. God, she missed this...the simple pleasure of walking barefoot on the sand, the waves crashing along the beach, the scent of salt on the warm night air. Rodrigo throwing his arms around her, as they ploughed into the cool water.

Jordana jumped, pushing the memories away hastily, before they could swamp her. And with a deep breath began walking along the wet firm sand at waters edge. She was grateful, maybe for the first time that Sebastien was such a quiet man, and didn't feel the need to fill the silence around them. Smiling at her companion, Jordana turned her head to gaze out at the ocean, keeping pace with his steps.

ooo

So, she was not part of the sandal-swinger species. Sebastien was grateful for the change. They kept walking in unison for a while, but it did not require the ability of Auspex to share what Jordana felt. Sebastien could have put it into a simple phrase, like 'You are sad,' but instead said: "I am quite aware of the fact that we accumulate certain memories in our mind, which are hard to come by." He hesitated in mid-stride, as if to stop and look at the sea for some time, however he did not stop, finished the step and continued ambling by her side.

The slow movement of the dark waves was simultaneously stimulating and soothing. Tides – what a convenient invention: They were reliably coming and going, more or less on time, differing in their intensity only – a minor irregularity. Just like father, Sebastien thought, slightly confused that he was thinking in metaphors again. Dark waves, time and again. This was what made Juan so powerful; this was what made Sebastien keep his loyalty, and like a seafarer he was one of the few who could maybe not subside the waves, but master them until things calmed down.

If he continued his musings, he would probably end up in seeing himself as a dark lake, utterly still and unfathomably deep, but fortunately he was still quite able to keep such capricious products of imagination at bay. He grew aware, though, that while thinking the very thought, he had already done it. In the feeble and futile attempt to chuckle, he cleared his throat once again, yet he did not control himself with much effort. He could allow himself a certain light-headedness, could he not, after all they had experienced tonight. It was time, though, to end this train of consciousness. "You may want to put your thoughts into words," he said. "Talking sometimes has the propensity to be constructive."

ooo

"I am quite aware of the fact that we accumulate certain memories in our mind which are hard to come by."

Jordana listened keeping pace with the dark haired man at her side, effortlessly. A balmy breeze fluttered around them, lifting her long locks, and as she turned her face toward Sebastien flinging strands across her skin. A slight smile graced her lips, as one pale hand reached up to hold the bulk away. The blonde could see her companion was also deep in thought, his eyes moving over the waves lapping at the edge of the beach, where they walked.

"You may want to put your thoughts into words...Talking sometimes has the propensity to be constructive."

The surprise in her eyes was evident as Jordana looked at Sebastien. Then the tinkling sound of laughter filled the air, over the sound of the waves. She put the hand that had been holding her hair back, over her mouth briefly, then let it fall to her side. "You are a man of contradictions, Sebastien. You're serious, yet you surprise me. You're quiet and thoughtful, and then encourage me to talk." She continued to smile at her companion, as she spoke. "I'm more a doer than a talker. And it would hardly be fair to burden you with my thoughts."

It never occurred to her that Sebastien might use whatever she told him to his advantage, she just wasn't used to heart to heart talks. What hadn't been easy in life wasn't any easier now. However, Jordana almost wanted to say the things on her mind, to Sebastien, but the only one she'd ever opened her life up to was Roderigo, and now he was gone. Her bare feet slapped against the wet sand, and she turned to look out at the sea.

ooo

She didn't want to talk. That was astounding. But what did she have in mind instead? The script of life had taught Sebastien that this would probably be the moment he should put his arms around her and their conversation would take another direction. And in fact, had he abhorred to touch her before, he longed to do so now. 'We are what we are,' he could hear Javier's voice in his mind. 'Those human frailties do not affect us.' But they sometimes did, did they not. He did not feel anything close to remorse for the way he dealt with mortals, why should he, but now he dealt with a related spirit, a Vampire. They had been humans once. And yet: this had been long since, and he had never touched for the benefit of touching, not even before his embrace. He had never felt that way before, either.

What is more, it had not occurred to him before that Jordana was capable of consideration. Rewind, replay. No, he had actually ignored the fact that she was, indeed. He looked at her, searching her face for an explanation to his own thoughts, then searching his thoughts for a reason to look at her. Dozens of images from different decades hurried by in front of his mind's eye, beautiful faces, masks, apparitions, Jordana smiling… Stop. Replay. He faltered, his jaw working around something reasonable to say - and failing.

As a last resort, he closed his eyes, trying to reboot, as usual. Something inside of him wanted to keep him from doing that, though. On the contrary, it wanted him to touch her now, quite urgently. He racked his brains for a reason why, apart from nourishment there was no reason for touching anyone, he tried to remember what Javier had taught him, but none of the things he had learned would elucidate the things that were going on inside of him right now. Forcing his eyes open again, he turned his glance aside, so that he was looking past her face, over her shoulder and into nothingness. "We should go back to the car," he finally said. "Father will be waiting for us."

ooo

Blue eyes flashed over the dark haired man at her side, and Jordana had the impression she'd disappointed her companion. "We should go back to the car...Father will be waiting for us." was the only thing out of Sebastien's mouth, his gaze searching a point beyond her shoulder. "Ok, fine. I'm sure you're right." As the girl turned her hand casually brushed against Sebastien's for a moment then was gone.

She walked the sand gracefully, not hurrying back to the car, but with the same pace she'd set before. With her face toward the breeze Jordana no longer had to battle her hair, as it flowed out behind her. She turned her attention on the man walking at her side, finding it easier suddenly to speak of the hidden things in her mind. "I suppose you wonder why I find your...Juan attractive, why I agreed to be his companion, considering we're quite different." She paused for several seconds, before letting the words slip free, "My creator, Roderigo Santoro was killed by his enemies about a year ago, and I've been alone since." The breath of a sigh escaped, giving hint of the difficulty she had opening up about this. "No one wants to spend eternity alone...do they? And until Juan I hadn't met anyone that I wanted to spend much time with..."

She didn't mention that she now also found Sebastien intriguing, and challenging. By this time they had reached the stairs, and she stopped, turning a smile on Sebastien. Jordana could see her shoes were still where she'd left them, but she hesitated on picking them up yet, waiting to see her companion's reaction to the tiny bit of her life she'd revealed.

ooo

The contact her hand made, small as it was, went through Sebastien like an electric shock. It came quite unexpectedly and took him several tenths of a second to recover. Moreover, it was what he had been hoping for, and what he had told himself should never happen, after all. He had touched her before, of course, to help her up, to prevent her from falling down again, but that was merely technical. This touch, though, was different.

He looked up, his eyes narrowing, and could just prevent a soft growl from escaping his lips. There she walked in front of him, her light hair fluttering in the wind, a sight of easiness, playfulness, all the things alien to his nature, and yet some part of him would have liked to join her in her cheerful way to walk, grab her hand, see how far the beach extended. He wondered which part that might be, doing the thinking for him right now, and the mere idea of it made him angry. Human frailties again; he would not give in to temptation, for it irrefutably led to destruction.

When he caught up with her, putting his surplus energy into two, three mighty strides, Jordana talked, at last. Sebastien could not help but look into her eyes again and found her smiling. This time, however, he did manage the effect of what was being carried with the smile, and it did not warm him like it would have done minutes before. He had to bear this in mind. He had to remain calm. Listening to her voice, he successfully ignored the irksome sensation of jealousy that tried to seize possession of him, and answered routinely. "It took me by surprise to find father being attracted to you, too. But I find I can comprehend his motives now. Father is always glad to have company." He cleared his throat. "So, your sire was killed. My sympathy." Automatically, he made a slight bow.

He felt like an imbecile, knowing immediately that he should have chosen more elaborate and dignified terms for what he wanted to bring about, but the words just would not come. Instead, he stared at her, hoping she understood, somehow read between the lines maybe, things that must not be said and must not be felt, either. Her smile just beamed, and this time the growl just escaped. He hastily turned away and went to fetch her shoes. Picking them up and shaking the sand out of them while trying to restructure his mind, he came to the resolution that she was just what Juan needed. He knew about his father's despair and loneliness, and he had often been there for him, yet unable to comfort him, and all he could do was sweep up the broken pieces, time and again.

Yes, Jordana was attractive and smart enough, and the fact that she conveyed a certain attraction to Sebastien himself was a relief; it would make meeting her so much easier in the future, and he dearly hoped it for his father to be a promising prospect indeed. And that was all. Before turning back to her, Sebastien finally managed to fight the demons inside and to subside his own dark waves. And upon going up the stairs, he was once again the blank faced dark haired gentleman he used to be, handing Jordana her sandals and opening the car door for her in swift and fluent movements.

ooo

"It took me by surprise to find father being attracted to you, too. But I find I can comprehend his motives now. Father is always glad to have exquisite company...So, your sire was killed. My sympathy." Sebastien offered her his sympathies, in what, Jordana was beginning to figure out was typical of him. However, she didn't take offence at his clipped words, knowing it was just his manner. But when he growled, turning abruptly away, she couldn't help the grin that split her face. It seemed he wasn't without some emotion, even if he hid it well.

As she watched, Sebastien walked over and retrieved her shoes, then leading the way up the stairs, disappeared at the top. And there was nothing left for Jordana to do but follow, stopping as he opened the door for her. Sebastien handed the blonde her discarded shoes, bringing them closer to one another, and just before she slipped into the open door, Jordana leaned over giving him a kiss on the cheek. It wasn't meant to embarrass, or get under his skin as it might have been done before. "Thanks, Sebastien," she said sliding past on to the seat, bending down to brush the sand from her skin.

Jordana had warned Sebastien once tonight she was more a doer, and generally went with the moment instead of thinking or worrying about it. She hadn't even given a thought to what his reaction might be to her forwardness. The fact that her companion was quite uptight most of the time, and might not be happy with her expression of thanks never crossed her mind, in the next few minutes as she busied herself with her footwear, waiting for him to take his seat.

ooo

This time he was prepared and remained unmoved. He did not even need to brace himself against the intrusion; instead, he just let it happen, like… humans used to happen. In fact, Sebastien experienced a kind of relief, just because Jordana behaved like the others now, breathing a kiss on his cheek out of genuine affection, but without the seductive or greedy part; almost motherly. He could exist with that. What is more: it reminded him of Paris, of Juan's girls there and the way they treated Sebastien when he was a child, and for the moment he felt utterly at home. The memory faded, but the sensation lingered a bit.

Without questioning his wish to take the driver's seat once more, she sat down and immediately started fiddling with her shoes, ignoring him almost ostentatiously. He closed the door, got around and into the car, and starting the engine dared another glance at her, just to make sure she was not stirring his emotions any more. The only thing that lasted, though, was the feeling of a growing acquaintance between them, and the recognition that grandfather might not have been entirely right about everything. Friendship was something Javier had certainly not achieved. Sebastien had never before thought about it, but now he realized that it had not been something Javier had ever aspired, either. Maybe he really lacked any kind of feeling, just like Juan once said. But then again, why did he care?

Sebastien was lost in deep thought on their way back to the hotel. He got so far as to deduce that he, in contrast to his grandfather, was capable of some residual emotion, for he did care, in his own special way. Hence, if he cared, he could also learn to feel something like amity. As a result, Sebastien took the courage to dare a little experiment: if friendship felt this way, why not cultivate it? Jordana could obviously control herself, she was pleasant to look at and did not talk too much nonsense. Feeling quite audacious, Sebastien made up his mind to befriend her. A smile, somewhat timid and unpractised, stole onto his lips while he was driving the car out onto the road, but Sebastien was not conscious of it, and so it crept away again before any harm was done.

It did not take them long to get back to the Grover Cleveland. When Sebastien had switched the car off, he could positively sense his father's presence, nonetheless he was convinced that Juan had no idea his son was near. He would probably be in the middle of an orgy, drunk as a lord, and all he would do was invite them to participate. Sebastien folded his hands over the steering wheel for a moment and took a deep breath, then turned to Jordana, supporting himself at the backrest. "I would like to inform you of the following, Miss Jordana," he said. "Whatever may go on behind those walls right now, or in the near future: please rest assured that I will be of your assistance, should you ever require it." The ambiguity of his words totally escaped him.

ooo

With her companion silent behind the wheel, Jordana stretched back in her seat letting the miles slip by without breaking into Sebastien's thoughts. It had been pleasant taking a brief interlude along the beach. And although it had brought on sad memories, she didn't regret having stopped. It also caused her to think of her companion in a different light. Sebastien was a complex man, hiding away the emotions she now knew where somewhere under the surface. She had known instinctively not to mention her thoughts about him, when mentioning Juan earlier, but planned on finding a way around his defences eventually.

The car pulled into the parking lot, and the driver switched off the motor. But he made no move to get out, instead Sebastien turned toward her, so they were looking at each other. "I would like to inform you of the following, Miss Jordana...Whatever may go on behind those walls right now, or in the near future: please rest assured that I will be of your assistance, should you ever require it."

As Sebastien's voice died, the seconds ticked by, the quiet lengthening. Jordana's lips had parted but for some time she didn't know what to say. It would have been so easy to make some flippant remark, or shrug off the import of his words, but she didn't...couldn't. Then finally she cleared her throat, much like he'd done numerous times. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light filtering through the glass, as she searched his face. "Thank you, Sebastien. It's good to know you've got my back," she smiled up at him, "But you know it works both ways...if you ever need my help, consider it done. Our little secret." The offer meant more than Sebastien could possibly know.

Jordana let her eyes move to the window and out, looking at the exterior of the hotel, then back at her companion, "I suppose we should go see what Juan has been doing to entertain himself in our absence."

ooo

It was a glittering party. After Juan had amused himself watching Jamila and the two boys in what could easily be called top form for a while, he went to the third room, where Jacqueline and Liberty had gone to look after the newcomers. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the newcomers, though similarly untamed, turned out to be much more obliging, and no strenuous controling attempts nor additional drugs were needed to make them cooperate. They were in fact almost docile after they had made his acquaintance, and all five of them were soon involved in an enjoyable conversation with their temporary host.

They were all so very pretty; three boys and, including Jamila, three girls. Juan promised himself to personally thank Nicos as soon as possible for leaving them to him at such a reasonable price, and he was quite positive that they would suffice as a payment for Howard. Well educated… servants, in addition extraordinarily handsome, were so hard to find. He looked from one to the other, and as if they could read his mind, they started a little harmless game. Soon, he realized that it would be a shame to go on with this private little amusement without involving the other three, who were still under the influence of the drug and would do whatever he asked of them. Moreover, he needed some more of Rafe's blood, for he had spent much of his blood on controling Jamila, earlier that night.

Yes, it was a glittering party… up to the moment when the phone rang. Juan, although high on Rafe's blood already, picked it up and answered, his voice slurring a bit. When he heard the voice at the other end, however, he was immediately sober. "Si," he said, trying to hush the others up in order to hear the other speaker more clearly, but the party was obviously going on without him, and there was no chance not to hear _her_ voice, anyway. He punched a key and put the receiver down, then staggered to the other, now empty room and picked the phone up again there. "You still there?" He asked, then went on talking in French. Of course she was there. The talk did not take long. When Juan put down the receiver again, he was even paler than usual, and he slowly slid down the wall until he came to sit on the floor. A shudder ran through him, and he just remained sitting there, staring at the opposite wall.

ooo

"Our little secret," Sebastien repeated. "I am obliged, Miss Jordana." And before she could answer, he got out of the car and hurried to open the door for her once more. The little smile made another attempt to surface, and this time it succeeded, just when he met Jordana's glance. Confused by the fact that it did so, Sebastien turned away abruptly and walked back to the hotel entrance, leading the way.

He could hear their voices from outside. Just like he thought, they were probably at the height of their feast, with Juan as the literal cockerel of the walk. Sebastien sneered. How he abhorred those dirty little parties. He looked over his shoulder to make sure that Jordana was following him, then entered the lobby. Timothy had taken up his post as receptionist again, but he had fallen asleep in his little armchair behind the desk, and he would not even stop snoring when Sebastien politely cleared his throat. Well, no need to wake him up. Sebastien snatched the keys from the hook and went to the staircase. Before he turned to walk upstairs, though, he checked if Jordana was still by his side.

The room reeked of sex, drugs and perfume; so heavily that Sebastien recoiled in horror after only peeking through the crack of the door. He did not need to look inside again, anyway. His father's presence was close, but it did not come from this room. The tall Vampire turned to look at Jordana without hiding his disgust with the proceedings, and put his thoughts into words. "Father is not here. I wonder where he might be." His matter-of-fact tone of voice could not hide that he was worried. It was in fact a rare occasion to see such a kind of party going on without Juan taking part; almost as rare as to see Sebastien worried.

His instincts as a childe and son told him that Juan would be in the next room. Sebastien threw Jordana a thoughtful glance before opening the door. The room was dark, but Juan was there. He was sitting next to the door, leaning against the bed and staring at the wall. Sebastien gave a short nod into Jordana's direction, then kneeled by his father's side. They had their quiet little exchange, as usual, and when Sebastien got up again, the expression on his face was grave.

"I daresay," he said, politely inclining his head to Jordana. "This is extremely inconvenient. But… I have the thankless task to inform you that it might well be that my father will have a special… guest in the next few nights. I know this is unforgivable, but my position does not allow me to go into any details." Now his face and tone of voice expressed how sorry he was for what was going on, and the fact that even he seemed to be somewhat stirred did not make it any better. "It would be best, Miss Jordana, if you talked to him face to face about what is going on." He stepped outside and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.

ooo

To say she was surprised when she met Sebastien's gaze and saw the ghost of a smile, would have been an understatement. But before Jordana could say anything he'd turned away heading for the hotel's entrance, letting her follow as he must have known she would. All the blonde could do was shake her head, her own hint of a smile showing briefly. It was a start, and as they say Rome wasn't built in a day.

Jordana stopped behind her male companion, letting her gaze move past his back to see the night clerk sitting sound asleep behind the desk. And not even Sebastien's deliberately cleared throat seemed to wake him. The vampire didn't bother expending more effort on other methods, and moving casually around, grabbed the keys himself. As he headed for the stairs, the man turned his head making sure Jordana was still with him.

When they'd reached the correct floor and the right room, Sebastien only opened the door enough to glance through, before firmly closing it again. "Father is not here. I wonder where he might be." Jordana didn't need to ask, she already knew what was going on in the room, but her own thoughts mirrored the look on her companion's face. She had no desire to join the occupants of the room either.

But not only was the revulsion, but a hint of worry about him, and as Sebastien moved down the hall, he gave her a thoughtful look. One that she couldn't read, and had no time to ponder as he opened the door allowing them to enter. She watched as son kneeled beside father, and tried not to intrude as they seemed to have some exchange.

When he rose, the look on Sebastien's face was serious. More so than she'd seen from him yet. And he moved to her side, "I daresay...This is extremely inconvenient. But… I have the thankless task to inform you that it might well be that my father will have a special… guest in the next few nights. I know this is unforgivable, but my position does not allow me to go into any details...It would be best, Miss Jordana, if you talked to him face to face about what is going on." Jordana didn't want to talk to Juan, she wanted to hear whatever needed to be said from Sebastien's own lips. And at that moment she realized she trusted Sebastien more then she did Juan. However, the look on the man's face told her that he would say no more, and he turned walking out of the room, leaving her alone with Juan.

"Juan..." Jordana said softly, sitting down next to him, "Who is this woman, coming here? Sebastien said we needed to talk about this. So please tell me what is going on." She had the sinking feeling she wasn't going to like what her lover was going to say.

ooo

Juan looked up at her, and momentarily it seemed as if he did not recognize her face. Then, like awakening from a dream, he started. "Jordana, my love." His voice was melodious as ever, but it had just that slight quaver, discreetly hinting at his inner tension. Glancing around, he noticed that Sebastien had already left the room. He reached up with both hands and pulled Jordana down into a deep kiss, clinging to her like a drowning man. "Just hold me for a while," he whispered. "I am so tired, Jordana."

He shivered. Her arms felt so soft, yet they were strong enough to support him, were they not, she would surely not let him go, for he feared that if she decided to let go right now he would indeed drown. And he wished, like he had not done for a long time, that time would stop a little and just give him a break, just once. "Pequeña, corazoncito… I should tell you, yes…" he tried, nuzzling her hair, then he fell silent again. Only after some long minutes did he attempt to speak once more. "It's good you have come back to me safely." His voice bore a heavy Spanish accent now, showing how exhausted he was. "Let us go home. I will tell you about her when we're home."

He looked around again. "Where is Bastien? I need him. I need more… blood. We must take Raphael with us. Please, Jordana, please don't leave me." He looked at her pleadingly, then he suddenly grew aware of his pitiable state, and staggering to his feet tried to compose himself. When he came to stand by the door, his smooth façade re-appeared at last, and he cocked his eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What a pretty picture I must give. This is so ridiculous. But, gatita, I promise I will tell you all about it. Just give me a moment to recover."

ooo

Juan reached over pulling the blonde into his embrace, giving her an ardent kiss before the softly sighed words flowed from his lips, "Just hold me for a while, I am so tired, Jordana." He'd wrapped himself in the young vampire's body as her arms looped around him, giving the comfort he sought.

Jordana could do no less than give Juan what he needed, in his almost desperate anxiety. As he nuzzled against her, the girl brushed a hand along his cheek, and up through his dark hair. She would have offered comforting words but he spoke first, "Pequeña, corazoncito… I should tell you, yes…It's good you have come back to me safely...Let us go home. I will tell you about her when we're home." In Jordana's mind it didn't bode well that he wanted to be alone before he told her about the mystery woman, why she was coming to Miami, or the reason both he and Sebastien seemed...worried.

"Where is Bastien? I need him. I need more… blood. We must take Raphael with us. Please, Jordana, please don't leave me." Jordana watched as Juan looked around, his eyes going wide for a moment, before he lurched to his feet, pulling away from her soothing embrace. And as she watched he seemed to change, the facade dropping over the disheartened man he'd been moments ago. "What a pretty picture I must give. This is so ridiculous. But, gatita, I promise I will tell you all about it. Just give me a moment to recover."

Jordana stood back up, smoothing the leather down her skin, taking a brief moment to bring her emotions under control, however an angry light shone from her eyes, at his sarcastic tone. The blonde stalked across the small distance, stopping directly in front of Juan. "Don't. Don't act like it doesn't matter. I'm not going to leave you, Juan. But don't shut me out, either." She leaned in tracing a hand down his cheek. "Let's get Rafe, and go home. Then you can tell me what's wrong." She refused to let her mind wonder what Sebastien was doing, knowing he would cope with whatever was coming much better than Juan.

ooo

Sebastien could not help overhearing the conversation between his father and Jordana. Grateful for the welcome distraction, he obeyed his father's indirect order and knocked on the door of the still highly 'occupied' main room, then summoned Liberty with the help their blood-bond. She was by his side in an instant, hastily closing a silk robe, but as soon as she set eyes on him, her smile beamed. "Sebastien, honey, did you have a nice night?" She said as casually as possible, altogether ignoring his solemn expression, and kissed his unresponsive lips. "Most probably. Last calls, my dear," he answered, pushing her away. "Get Raphael, and mind you, in a decent state. Then see to it that the others call it a day."

She remained singularly unruffled in spite of his manners and his sharp tone of voice and went back to do as he told her. Sebastien trusted her without calling into question that she followed his orders. When she was gone, however, he hesitated, contemplating, then cleared his throat and turned to knock on the door behind which Juan had been sitting.

ooo

Just when Sebastien was about to knock, Juan opened the door. They were standing face to face for a moment, scanning each other, their jaws set, their motionless features looking so much alike, yet concealing so different attitudes. Finally Juan smiled wryly and took him in his arms, brushing his cheek with his lips. "Now, now, Bastien. Don't look at me like that. It will pass, you know it will, just like it always passes, and we'll live, will we not." He stood back again and looked from one to the other, and only now he clearly sensed the new bond between his son and his lover. Cocking his head ever so slightly, then winked at Jordana and took her hand, kissing her palm without taking his eyes from her, thus claiming what he regarded as his own.

"We will be waiting downstairs, if you please," he went on as if nothing significant had happened. "I take it the deal was successful." When Bastien only gave a curt nod, Juan smiled again, this time in a most satisfied fashion, and turned towards the staircase. He gallantly kissed Jordana's hand once more and held on to it, thus leading her along like a dancer. After a few steps, though, he stopped and said: "How do you know it is a woman?" Without waiting for her to reply, he chuckled. "But you are right, _gatita_. She is… an old acquaintance of mine. I will not shut you out, dear, but then again, you might not like what you hear." With this, he let go of her hand and jumped down the staircase in his typically exaggerated boyish manner.

ooo

Juan opened the door revealing Sebastien on the other side, and after a brief staring match the older man hugged the younger. Jordana stayed silent through out the hug and the ensuing conversation that followed. She only briefly let her gaze move over Sebastien, before letting all her attention fall on Juan as he took her hand, kissing the palm.

Juan mentioned the deal, but only in the curious way, never really asking for details, before leading the blonde down the stairs. But he hesitated after a few steps, turning back to Jordana, "How do you know it is a woman?...But you are right, gatita. She is… an old acquaintance of mine. I will not shut you out, dear, but then again, you might not like what you hear." Without waiting for an explanation the dark haired vampire vaulted over the rail and to the bottom to await his lover.

Jordana, however, took her time, casually moving at a leisurely pace. When she'd reached her companion's side she stopped, looking up into his face. "How did I know? How could I not know? Sebastien says a 'special' guest is coming. Then you both pussy foot around the subject...it's what you didn't say that told me it was another woman. And now I just wonder how much I'm not going to like this." The blonde put her hands on her hips, giving off a defiant pose, while they waited for Rafe to appear.

ooo

She looked positively gorgeous when angry. Juan would have liked to tell her so, only to fan the flames, but there were more urgent things to deal with right now, and it was not the right moment for games. However, he allowed himself to flash a smile at her, his eyes lighting up for a moment, thus reminding of the fire he himself was capable of. "Ah, Jordana," he said. "Estoy perdido por tí. You are indeed one fascinating woman. How could I even dream of making you angry. It is just that…" His voice trailed off, though, for at that moment he saw Rafe coming downstairs.

The boy had obviously had a busy night. Still under the influence of the drugs, he looked like a sleepwalker, his white shirt hanging loose over his jeans, his dark curly hair still wet from the quick shower, his face a bit flustered, his eyes shining with pleasure. Juan threw Jordana an apologetic glance and went to meet Rafe at the bottom of the staircase, where he took him in his arms and, regardless how much blood the boy had already lost, took some more until Rafe was not able to stay on his feet any more. Juan lifted the unconscious boy up like a doll and turned towards Jordana again. "We can go home now, gatita." With an innocent bat of his eyelids he looked down at the human in his arms. "Oh, this was probably a bit much for him, but he'll live."

He carried Rafe to the car and carefully placed him in the back seat, then opened the door to the front passenger seat, and leaving it ajar, went back to the hotel to meet Jordana in the middle and block her way by means of another passionate kiss. When they finally broke the contact, he brushed her cheek with his lips and whispered into her ear. "You mean so much to me, Jordana. Do not wonder why I say so after such a short amount of time. I know I am right. I can feel it, you're special in many ways. Believe me, I would change things, nay, even undo them if only I could. But the way things are, I can only trust in your patience; your extraordinary patience, as it were."

He went back to the car and sat down inside. When the blonde had entered the car, too, he drove away from the hotel, remaining silent until they were in the underground parking once more. Only when he had switched the engine off again, he said: "Her name is Marie Fontaigne. She is the one who painted my pictures. Remember?"

ooo

Jordana tried to ignore the flash of smile Juan directed at her. He was incorrigible, spoilt, and far too used to getting his own way. "Ah, Jordana, Estoy perdido por tí. You are indeed one fascinating woman. How could I even dream of making you angry. It is just that…" His pretty words stopped as they both looked up to see a flushed Rafe coming down the stairs. He appeared well satiated, if the dreamy smile and half closed eyes were any indication. Well that and of course the blonde knew about the pharmaceuticals Juan was so fond of passing out.

Juan with a glance her way, moved to the boy's side gathering Rafe in his embrace. And as Jordana watched he drank for the human, until the young man swooned, going limp in the Vampire's arms. It may not have been the way Jordana would have treated a servant, but he wasn't hers to make complaints of his treatment. The dark haired man lifted the human in his arms, like he weighed no more than a toy, and turned his head to speak to the waiting woman, "We can go home now, gatita...Oh, this was probably a bit much for him, but he'll live."

Letting her eyes slide over the pair, Jordana only shrugged, "Not if you keep doing this to him, without letting the boy rest." She knew Rafe was probably a few years older than she herself was, however, she couldn't think of him as anything but a boy. She watched Juan as he carried the unconscious man to the car, settling him in the back then walked up to meet Jordana as she exited the hotel. She still wasn't happy about this mystery woman, and it might have shown on her delicate features because the next thing she knew, Juan had blocked her path, and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

It might have gone on indefinitely, as the blonde lost herself in the feel of Juan's lips but eventually he pulled away, brushing her cheek as they parted. His lips remained at her ear, whispering how much she meant to him, even after so short a time together. He told her he would change things if he could...It alarmed her, although she didn't let it show. What things? Was this woman going to be that bad? And then he mentioned her patience, almost causing a smile to form on her lips. However Jordana was more worried about what he wasn't telling her, as if he was building up to something truly awful.

They moved apart, making their way back to the car, and Juan drove off into the night. Jordana with nothing to do had too much time on the way home to think. She tried not to let her thoughts turn to Sebastien, shying away when they did. Instead she puzzled about the guest, and wondered when she would arrive. Juan hadn't spoken once as they drove, but as soon as the car was parked, he turned to her, "Her name is Marie Fontaigne. She is the one who painted my pictures. Remember?"

Unhappy blue eyes swept over her companion. Yes, she remembered. How could you not when they covered most of the apartment. "And she's what to you, Juan? Does she have some prior hold over you that you're not telling me? I want to know what I'm going to have to be so god damned patient about. I want to know why Sebastien was practically bleeding emotion." A faint moan came from the back seat, but Rafe made no other move as he still lay unconscious on the seat. Jordana knew she would walk away, no matter how much it hurt, before she'd let herself be fucked over by some previous lover.

ooo

The way she ardently listened to him, and the way she dealt with what he told her, gave evidence to the unusual patience Juan had sensed in this Hot-blooded girl. He decided then and there that he would eventually tell her everything; before someone else did. But now, when he just started to tell he, she radiated anger. That was so typical about this bloodline. He sadly shook his head and sighed. Well, maybe she just could not help it and would yet hear him out. He could well bear much more of her temper. Moreover, her words scored the bull's eye.

Rafe stirred in the back seat, and Juan turned to scan him briefly. "You are right, my love. He is indeed quite weak. Actually, I had no intention to use him as my blood doll… Wait." He slightly slit his wrist with a canine and held the wound to Rafe's mouth. The boy licked at the stuff, then his eyes flew open and he moaned again, this time in surprise. "There," Juan said. "This is better, yes? I may give you back some of the blood I took from you, why should I not, but I need to get some more tomorrow night; preferably from someone else." He smiled benevolently, patted the boy's cheek and turned back towards Jordana.

"Sebastien really truly hates her. If he is ever capable of any kind of emotion, the whole load will go into Marie." The wry smile was there again. "I won't blame him for that. She very nearly killed me the past few times." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, then went on talking without looking at Jordana. "I can feel your anger and your fear. You fear that I might leave you because of her. Please believe me she is not my lover; never has been." He forced his eyes open again, looking Jordana straight in the eye now. "Marie cannot love. She can only destroy. It is part of what she is." As a memory struck him, another shiver went through his body, however he did not break the eye contact. "Don't blame her for that, she does have her reasons. I know, it is part of what I am, too. That's why we meet every decade, just to show each other how vulnerable we are." He pulled Jordana into another embrace before letting go abruptly and stepping outside the car. It would not be fair to force his opinion onto her by emotional blackmail. He had to leave it to her to decide how to deal with this.

Maria was waiting by the lift, as always, if but a bit early. Her face was very grave this time, and although she curtsied in front of the two Vampire, it was clear by her tone of voice that she was chiding him. They exchanged a few words in Spanish, then Juan translated for Jordana. "She expresses her disapproval because I do not take enough care of myself. Tell me, do I really look that dreadful?" He turned to look at Maria again and said some more, this time mentioning the name of Marie Fontaigne.

When she heard this name, Maria crossed herself and fell silent. Her eyes, however, moved to Jordana, scanning her for a reaction. Flashing Juan another motherly stern glance, she strode to the blonde, and caressing her cheek just the way she had done with Juan the other night, said: "Pobrecito. No le deje solo mi Juan cuando esta diabla viene a él. Do not leave my Juan alone when this devil comes to him." Her heavy accent made the words come out with even more impact than she had probably intended.

_To be continued…_


	8. Chapter 8

_For disclaimer see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 8

Jordana was angry. That was obvious. But it was the internal struggle she hid from her companion. Sure she was tough as any other street thug, but deep down, she was still a woman, with emotions to match. She'd never admit that it scared her to think this woman might be more desirable to Juan then she, and that he might toss her aside for the newcomer.

From her seat, the blonde watched Juan turn his attention to the young servant in the back as he moved restlessly. _"You are right, my love. He is indeed quite weak. Aye, I had no intention to use him as my blood doll… Wait."_ It had been petty of her to say anything about his treatment of the human, but then she'd been in a petty mood. Jordana knew by how he, and Sebastien for that matter, treated their servants. Taking care of them, like the assets they were instead of like slaves. Her eyes followed as Juan gave some of his blood to the man, patting his cheek gently before turning back.

_"Sebastien really truly hates her. If he is ever capable of any kind of emotion, the whole load will go into Marie...She very nearly killed me the past few times...I can feel your anger and your fear. You fear that I might leave you because of her. Please believe me she is not my lover; never has been."_ Jordana barely heard the rest of what Juan was say, her mind in turmoil, a frown forming between her brows. _'They weren't lovers?'_ It seemed to replay over and over in her mind, as she gave the dark haired man a confused look.

With her gaze on the other vampire, Jordana saw the shiver run through his body, as he seemed to be remembering something particularly unpleasant, _"...Don't blame her for that, she does have her reasons. I know, it is part of what I am, too. That's why we meet every decade, just to show each other how vulnerable we are."_ Then he pulled her to him, his lips capturing hers in another embrace. It felt like an almost desperate plea for her to understand, and Jordana was trying. As quickly as he'd grabbed her, he let go and got out of the car.

They walked side by side not touching, to the patiently waiting older woman, and the blonde could see the worried expression she wore. Did she already know? Had Sebastien phoned ahead, to tell her the news? But no, as Juan translated her chiding words, Jordana knew she was just worried about Juan, for the moment. Until he spoke the other woman's name. Maria's reaction alone told the blonde that her lover was telling her at least some of the truth.

The older woman came forward lifting a hand to caress her cheek, but the look in her eyes spoke of her need to see her master safe. _"Pobrecito. No le deje solo mi Juan cuando esta diabla viene a él. Do not leave my Juan alone when this devil comes to him."_ Jordana's gaze met Maria's, and she reached up taking the hand that rested on her cheek, giving it a quick squeeze. "You have my word, Maria, that I won't leave Juan to this woman."_'Unless it's what he wants,'_ she thought, but didn't say out loud. Instead she gave the woman a reassuring smile, "We need to get Rafe upstairs. And I believe Juan could use a little time to relax as well." She turned a beguiling smile on the dark haired vampire, hiding the turmoil once again, and took his hand in hers.

ooo

Juan could sense her feelings clearly; they communicated themselves like the reverberations of an effervescent inner vortex, stirring him deeply, yet proving that Jordana had probably bitten off more than she could chew. He, for his part, knew that she did not need worry. He had met Marie dozens of times, and the memories they shared were, in spite of her absolute menace, not always bad ones. But how could he explain that to a young Vampire, set aside a hot-blooded girl like her? How could he even try to explain that he somehow, for instance, enjoyed being flailed unconscious? Or much worse? Impossible! He could only find a reasonable explanation for the surface, but the inner life of the matter had to remain secluded.

She had taken his hand in hers, emulating Maria's motherliness. Although he liked the kind gesture in general, he realized at the same time that this was so pathetic and so utterly wrong; and it was all his fault. Shaking his head about his own perplexing attitude, he chided himself for giving away too much information, just because he cared for her and liked the idea of being cared for, too. How very selfish of him. Had he really cared for her, he would have left her at the hotel, let her be comforted by Sebastien, but no, he had to bathe in his jealousy and tell her all about it, had he not. He had made the bed, and now he had to lie on it.

A soft moan made Juan look up. Rafe had stirred, managed to climb out of the car and tried to stagger towards them, but it he was way too weak to walk. Juan took this as an excuse to let go of Jordana's hand, catching and supporting the boy just before he stumbled, then he lifted Rafe up once more, and nodding at Jordana in what he hoped to be a trustful gesture entered the lift in front of her. Maria slipped inside behind him and did not hesitate to open his upper shirt button and take the key chain from his neck. After they all got inside, she casually operated the elevator with the routine of having operated so many elevators for so many decades.

Only when they were back in the apartment again did Juan talk. He laid Rafe down on the bed, and the boy fell asleep in an instant. Then Juan turned to look at Jordana, crossed the distance between them, and taking her in his arms said: "You are right again, my love. We all need some rest. And I appreciate it that you want to stay by my side when Marie has her entrance. However, I cannot allow this to happen. Wait before you turn your back on me because I say so! Hear me out first.

"I know this is not easy for you, Jordana. But see, it is thus: She will come, we will have this little game of ours, and then she will leave again. One night, everything happens. I know it is much I am asking of you, but I will definitely need you afterwards. However, if you stay, she will harm you." He kissed her neck, then whispered in her ear. "I cannot allow that to happen. Do not listen to everything Maria tells you, gatita. I need you, love. Believe me, I do. But only when it's done…"

ooo

Jordana had taken Juan's hand seeking a bit of comfort for herself. She was still a very young vampire, without the centuries of experience playing these games, and had needed some reassurance. But with the sound of Rafe pulling himself shakily from the car, her companion had let it go, moving quickly to the unsteady servant. Even knowing Rafe was in no condition to make it to the elevator by himself, Jordana felt a hint of distance between them. However, she let it go. following the others into the small car, waiting silently as it climbed to the top of the building.

When the door slid open, they got out and entered the large apartment, and the first thing that filled the blonde's gaze was one of the larger than life paintings. One that _she_ painted. It kept Jordana close to the door, wondering if she had time to get home before dawn. She hadn't noticed Juan laying Rafe down on the bed, and only looked at him when he pulled her into his arms.

_"You are right again, my love. We all need some rest. And I appreciate it that you want to stay by my side when Marie has her entrance. However, I cannot allow this to happen. Wait before you turn your back on me because I say so! Hear me out first."_ How had she known it was coming to this? It suddenly seemed like a bad dream...the other woman taking her place. The one he swore up and down wasn't his lover...but yet had priority. Jordana wanted to leave, but already the scent of the coming dawn was filtering into the room, and she knew it wasn't an option.

_"I know this is not easy for you, Jordana. But see, it is thus: She will come, we will have this little game of ours, and then she will leave again. One night, everything happens. I know it is much I am asking of you, but I will definitely need you afterwards. However, if you stay, she will harm you...I cannot allow that to happen. Do not listen to everything Maria tells you, gatita. I will need you, love. Believe me, I will. But only when it's done…"_ She stood stiffly in Juan's arms, not allowing herself to soften, even as he was kissing her neck, cajoling her to agree with this. "And what if she stays? What are you going to do then?"She held up a hand, pulling away from his embrace, "No, I don't want to know. Dawn is almost here, and I don't want to argue anymore."**  
**  
Moving over to the bed, Jordana stopped looking down on the sleeping human. "Since you've given Rafe the bed, where are we going to sleep?"It was still dark outside, but the pull of the day was already effecting the young vampire, and her senses were beginning to slow.

ooo

He had feared for the worst, and the worst had come. Jordana was acting accordingly, and maybe just a bit too irrationally due to the oncoming dawn, but all in all her reaction befitted her age and experience. He knew that any further explanation would be futile. His eyes were still gleaming with remorse and an ancient need to be finally forgiven his trespasses, to be relieved of all this at last, even if he knew that this would never be possible.

As an answer to Jordana's question, Juan pushed the upper part of the bed aside once more, revealing the other bed inside. The construction was sturdy, so that Rafe was not disturbed in his sleep and this time did not even stir. It was a Nosferatu design, funny he came to think of it right now. And the very moment he thought about it, he longed to be back in Paris, back where he belonged. So this is how you punish me, he spoke in his mind to his sire. Will there ever be an 'enough'? Will you ever let me come back?

Watching Jordana lie down without a further glance at him, he tried to convince himself that this was only due to the pull of the day, however he knew better. It was also a punishment, and almost certainly well deserved. Searching the room for support, his eyes met those of Maria. She seemed to have watched the proceedings from the kitchen corner, and now looked at him sternly. "You always want to have it your way, now you see what you get," she said in her broken English, obviously with the intention that Jordana understood her words, too.

Juan laughed softly. "You are indeed my walking conscience, Maria." The words were meant to be a somewhat crude joke, but when they were out he realized that he was speaking the truth. Maria just nodded sadly and set to work on the already immaculate kitchen table. Juan looked at the bed and contemplated taking Rafe with him into the dark compartment. He would have loved to feel something warm and living by his side right now. But he had to deprive himself of this luxury, for the boy needed to rest and then to wake up and be able to move around to keep his circulation going. But it was not only the nutritional facts that led him to this conclusion. Somehow, Juan had the distinct feeling that he owed Rafe, and he would need his support, especially when Jordana left him. Pulling the bed closed above them, he heard the steel shutters rattle down. He still pricked up his ears if there was any movement from Jordana's side, but he feared his hopes were of no avail.

ooo

The taxi driver wondered what colour her eyes were; probably green. He could not detect anything about them because of the jet-black sunglasses that were dead smart, but actually totally useless, as it was already dark outside. He did not wonder about this detail, though, because the slim sunglasses suited this special lady so very well. Oh yes, she was something. Talking about details: She looked like she had jumped out of a fifties movie, the masses of her fiery red hair ruled by a dainty green head scarf, the tight fitting dark blue costume with the green buttons just a bit too much for the sore eye, and the long gloves not only covering, but at the same time strangely disclosing a pair of incredibly slender hands. No talking about the milk-and-honey complexion and the incredible legs here.

Yes, the eyes were covered, and yet the taxi driver could feel that they were scanning him constantly. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, not a bad feeling at all, strange enough, it was as if she was persistently x-raying him, probably until he was roasted. "They are not green, my dear fellow," her voice suddenly rang out, so deep that it was almost guttural. "They are violet." Then and there, the taxi driver would have loved to slam the breaks, open the door and just let her walk wherever she wanted to go. Unfortunately, his feet did not seem to have a direct connection to his brain, and so he continued to drive nonetheless, until they got to the small hotel.

When he had hurried outside (miraculously, his legs were carrying him again) to get her trunks, he considered just driving away, no money this time, thank you very much. And again, his body seemed to have a life of its own without listening to his brains. She had been sitting in the car, and the next moment she was by his side, strange, somehow he had expected no less. Now she took off her sunglasses, and yes, the colour of her eyes was an extraordinarily dark blue, a bit like the costume, no green at all, she was right, they were kinda violet. The last things he thought was, what a strange way to go.

ooo

Jordana had known of the bed underneath from the previous night, but didn't know if it could accessed with Rafe sound asleep on top. But she watched with a kind of detachment as Juan pushed it apart, not once causing the human to stir. She slipped down onto their resting place without saying anything. What more was there to say tonight. It wouldn't change anything to continue the argument.

Making herself comfortable, Jordana had closed her eyes but wasn't yet pulled into unconsciousness, when she heard Maria speaking to Juan, in her broken English, _"You always want to have it your way, Juanito, now you see what you get."_ A satisfied smile curved the young Vampire's lips. It was nice to see she wasn't the only one that noticed how much Juan made himself the centre of attention, not seeming to understand that others, had wants, needs, opposite feelings about certain unwanted guests.

The dark void was already sucking at the blonde's consciousness, when she heard Juan's voice answering the older woman. She felt him lay down beside her, pulling the covering over the top of them, then settling himself for the days rest. But unlike the previous night he didn't take her into his arms, and Jordana already feeling like she was being pushed away, didn't make the move herself. Instead she let the sleep overtake her, not wanting to think about what the next night was going to bring...or who.

ooo

Rafe awoke around noon. Looking up, it slowly dawned on him that he was in Juan's apartment and not at the hotel. He yawned and stretched and got up. Detecting Maria, bent over the newspaper in her kitchen corner, he smiled and approached her. It was nice not to be alone up here, and she felt like family. The movement made her look up, and she answered his smile as warmly, holding up a thermos can and wiggling it. "Coffee?" Without awaiting his reply, she poured him a cup. He sat down and gratefully accepted it. He sipped at the hot stuff, then asked: "You're Maria, right?" She nodded politely. He combed back his hair with his hands. "I need to go to my flat, Maria. I need new clothes, things like that. Strange enough, I don't want to leave."

She smiled enigmatically and answered with her heavy accent. "I know how you feel, Raphael. You… do not need go back home. You get everything you need here." Her expression grew solemn. "And I must not let you go now, this woman is out there, not even before, you know, it is dark." Rafe raised his eyebrows and put his cup down with a thud. "I thought it was a bad dream. Jeez… She really exists, doesn't she. What can I do?"

Maria shook her head again and forced a smile. "You do nothing, we do nothing. We wait. If she come here, we leave. We come back when is over." She crossed herself once more and muttered something under her breath, but Rafe could only guess it was Spanish. Walking towards the bathroom, he said: "If you say so, Maria." He looked back, and his eyes fell on one of the paintings. "God, those pictures give me the creeps. How can people do this to each other?"

"Ay diós," Maria exclaimed. "But they can, Raphael. But they can." It looked as if she had actually witnessed something similar to the gruesome scene, and maybe she really had. She took out a handkerchief and blew her nose, but gestured to leave her alone. Shivering, Rafe went into the bathroom; he was really looking forward to enjoying a long hot shower now.

When the sun set, Juan stirred, just before the shutters rattled open again. He sensed that Jordana was still deep in her day stupor, but the warmth from Rafe's living body above them was missing. Of course, a servant did not need to sleep all day long, and Maria probably took good care of him. Recalling the scene they had had before going to bed the other morning, Juan sighed. He longed to take Jordana in his arms. It had been hard to refrain from it then, but it was impossible to fight the urge now. In spite of her still stock-still body, he snuggled up to her, and putting his arm around her pulled her into a tight hug. Maybe, just maybe they could talk about it for a second time, and maybe she would at least come back to him afterwards; if he was really lucky. He knew it was pathetic, but he really hoped she would understand. Somehow this was important to him.

ooo

As it always happens, one minute the young vampire was dead to the world, the next she was fully conscious. It didn't take long for Jordana to become aware of Juan's arms wrapped tightly around her, or that her body snuggled up to his. It had been what she'd hoped for the previous morning, but hadn't transpired. And instead they had gone to their days rest, still at odds with one another.

"Juan?" she breathed, already knowing he was awake and silently waiting for her. For the briefest of moments the blonde almost thought all the ugliness and strife between them was a bad dream. She let a long sigh follow his name, as she turned her face towards his, "So what do we do now? No. Don't answer that."She wanted to enjoy the little time they had left together, trying to pretend his guest wouldn't be arriving any time, but the illusion wouldn't stay in place. And Marie was like an apparition sitting between them.

She buried her face in Juan's shirt front, realizing they hadn't even bothered to undress before retiring. "I hope you're as confident of surviving this little game of yours as you seem." As much as Jordana wanted to talk him out of this she already knew from their last discussion that Juan wasn't going to budge. And so there wasn't anything left for her, but to leave. And yet she was reluctant to move away, and start the game in motion.

ooo

Juan felt her reluctance to move, and would have loved to give in to his own matching desire just to stay there for the rest of the night, holding her close. However, he could by no means take the risk of Jordana meeting Marie. Being harmed by the redhead in some way or other, well that was the plan, was it not. Letting her harm others he cared for, though, was unthinkable.

Juan answered Jordana's words with another long kiss. He let his tongue trail down her throat and rested his teeth lightly above her clavicle, inhaling her scent deeply before licking his way up again. After another lazy kiss, he turned away and swung the bed cover open. "Let us watch the skyline for a while," he said. He could have added, 'before you leave,' but it did not sound right. She knew, anyway. Locking his arms around her once more, he sat up, pulling her close, and leaned against the frame so that they could look outside.

"This is where I found you," Juan said softly, making an elegant gesture towards the city. "Right down there. And this is where I'll find you again." He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. "No, she will not harm me… too much. But I can never be confident. I do not deserve this mercy. I can only hope for deliverance, again and again." He choked back his sadness and forced a laugh. "But I would like to spend the better part of my existence with you. Is it not indeed one good reason to stay alive?"

Had he felt like making up for the other night in a special and somewhat profane way first, he did not feel the necessity any more. Making out for making up was so human. Besides, fear and anticipation were growing, and he could hardly fight them back, so this would not be the right moment for getting overly emotional. "Right," he said, still holding her close, his voice just a little bit hoarse. "So, you're going to leave. Good. I could not forgive myself, should you come to any harm because of me. Let us just separate then, for tonight, and have an ordinary date the night after tomorrow. No struggles, no drama. How about that?"

ooo

Sebastien heard the cab drive onto the small parking lot at the rear of the hotel, the sand crushing under the tyres, and some time later the engine was switched off. There was no other sound. The tall Vampire was sitting behind the receptionist desk, with Timothy by his side, all the other servants were up in their rooms, waiting. It was dead silent in the house, even Timothy's minute miserable TV set was switched off tonight. As if he knew she would be coming tonight. And yet, he was quite convinced she would not bother to wait any longer.

When the front door opened, Sebastien slowly got up. He had no reason to hurry; whatever might happen, he would always be considerably slower than her. There she stood, waiting for him. He took his time to walk around the desk, then remained standing there without a word. Marie smiled at him, a stunning smile, so tempting, and yet so empty. "Why, Bastien, do you not want to say bon soir to your auntie?" Her voice always had this astounding effect, it was lulling him, trying to make him believe that she was more than agreeable and he would be perfectly safe with her.

He made a few involuntary steps towards her, still keeping his mouth shut, bracing himself. Whatever he was about to say, it would probably spoil the mood, and he was not one for chatting, anyway. Suddenly, she was standing very close to him. He could scent the blood on her lips, feel the heat radiating from her body, the taxi driver's blood being still warm inside her veins. She kissed him, wetting his lips with some of it, then pulled her head back snake-fashion to watch him; again.

All he could do was lick it up, but he refrained from moving any other muscle. Had he been still alive, he would have been panting by now; all he did was snarl. Marie laughed, and the artificial scales she produced were getting on his nerves. "You are such a baby, Bastien," she said amiably. "You should loosen up a bit, really." She moved her head gracefully to peek over his shoulder. "Is this dinner I detect?"

Enough was enough. Sebastien raised his hand. "No, it is not. I hope you had a pleasant journey, Marie." He felt weak already. Her eyes were scanning him almost constantly, they made him swivel. Without changing the kind expression of her face, she retorted in the same cordial tone of voice: "You raise your hand at me? Now, now, my dear. Have you lost any respect for your elders?" He did not even see her move, but felt a sharp pain in his face the next instance. Without touching the skin, he knew it was scored by a set of sharp fingernails that had gone through the cloth of her gloves like nothing. Smelling the blood well up, he took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the wounds to prevent the blood from ruining his shirt.

It was always the same, was it not. She came, she destroyed, she left. He had tried to fight her many times, only to finally give in to the fact that this honourable deed was in fact a stupid one, futile and inexorably bad for his personal health. What he could not understand in the least was why his father still seemed to adore her, although he knew for sure that they did not share any kind of bond. And whatever she might have in mind, Sebastien was positive that even Juan would not appreciate it if she laid hands on his "merchandise."

"Father is not here," Sebastien uttered, already swaying with the effort to stand upright under her penetrating glance. "I take it you and he have arranged for a meeting." He was well aware that she would extract from his unresisting mind all she needed to know. When she had finished reading him, she turned to work on Timothy, leaving him barely alive. Strange enough, she did not show any interest in the other servants, either, but instead turned on her heels again. Maybe she just ignored the fact that they existed. Before the doors closed behind her, she said without turning: "You can see your father tomorrow, Bastien. Or the night after tomorrow."

Not caring in the least if he was still alive, Marie kicked the limp taxi driver's body out of the way, rolling him around until he came to lie by the side of the parking lot. Then she took the driver's seat. For a moment, an ugly squint distorted her pretty features. How stupid. She should have taken Timothy with her instead of draining him, now she had to drive all by herself. Clumsily shifting gears, she drove out into the night.

Sebastien struggled to his feet and looked at Timothy. The poor guy was breathing heavily, but he would live. Another drop of Sebastien's blood made sure that he would. Hearing footsteps on the staircase, he looked up and saw Liberty stroll towards him, her jaw set. "Has the witch left again already?" she said, clenching her fists.

Sebastien narrowed his eyes, but he did not answer the question. Instead, he said: "Take care of the others. I might not come back tonight." She nodded grimly and turned to tend to Timothy first. Sebastien, however, walked outside and to his car. One suitcase was still standing in the middle of the car park, the little travelling tag fluttering in the soft night breeze. He did not care what happened to her precious leather luggage; she probably had just forgotten about it because there was so much more in the car.

Sebastien sat down in his Jag and moved it out onto the road, his expression stern. There was nothing he could do for Juan, but Marie might perchance stumble across someone else, someone he truly and inexplicably cared for, and he could not bear the mere thought that Jordana was hurt by her, let alone involved in a fight.

ooo

When Juan bent to her, Jordana surrendered to his kiss. She shivered as his tongue made a wet path down her throat, resting his teeth on her collarbone. And she could have easily lost herself in the moment, forgetting about the upcoming visitor. But no, there was no time for lingering kisses, or losing oneself tonight. It seemed that Juan had the same thought, because he pulled away, throwing the cover off, and sitting up with the blonde still in his arms. _"Let us watch the skyline for a while...This is where I found you...Right down there. And this is where I'll find you again."_ It was a reminder of how Jordana was going to have to leave, even though neither one needed a reminder. It was a constant on both minds tonight.

_"No, she will not harm me… too much. But I can never be confident. I do not deserve this mercy. I can only hope for deliverance, again and again...But I would like to spend the better part of my existence with you. Is it not indeed one good reason to stay alive?"_ Yes, it was. If only...this woman wasn't going to come between them. Now and every time she contacted Juan. Because Jordana was beginning to think this was an addiction. Something that wouldn't end no matter how many years they were together. But instead of voicing her thoughts, she gave her lover a smile.

_"Right...So, you're going to leave. Good. I could not forgive myself, should you come to any harm because of me. Let us just separate then, for tonight, and have an ordinary date the night after tomorrow. No struggles, no drama. How about that?"_ She could feel the anticipation already building in the man she lay against, and it was all she could do to keep her voice level calm, like this wasn't effecting her. "Sure...night after tomorrow. Sounds good." Jordana let the conversation drop away for a few minutes, still reluctant to pull away. "What about Rafe, do you want me to take him with me?"

Still in no hurry to leave, Jordana was relaxed against Juan. Or as relaxed as the circumstances allowed. But if she'd have known that the mystery woman, Marie was at that moment pulling into the parking lot, stopping next to Juan's Trans Am, she might well have been getting ready for the confrontation. Instead she sat up stretching, and turned her gaze to Juan. She leaned in giving him a last kiss, then swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "It's time. I'll...see you, later." There were many things she could have said to him, but it suddenly didn't seem to matter, anymore. This was something Juan had done numerous times, and he was a big boy.

ooo

"Rafe, yes…" Juan said absentmindedly. He ardently kissed her back, and only afterwards continued to talk. "He will stay with Maria. I will need both of them… later." He could have said that he usually liked the thought of Rafe being with her, he could also have said that he was sorry, but it did not matter now, did it. Hollow phrases… With a sigh, he dragged himself up from the bed and pulled it closed after Jordana had got up.

Maria and Rafe were standing by the door, obviously waiting for his orders. He smiled. He could never get used to the thought of servants slavishly following orders, without the usual wince and giggle you'd expect from servants, and yet they were so damn useful when it came to practical thinking. "Bueno," he said, smiling at them. "You take Jordana downstairs, then wait for the lady to come. If she hasn't arrived until midnight, she won't come tonight. When she arrives, you give her the key and stay away. Do you understand?"

Maria actually did wince at his sharp tone of voice. He needed not explain things to her, she had experienced similar situations quite a lot of times. Maybe he did this to show off in front of his new lover, or to show Raphael where his place was. She took the key chain from Juan's hands with another chiding look, then turned to work the elevator car. Leaning against the doorframe, Juan watched the three of them leave.

ooo

The black Jaguar drove down the ramp at an almost careless speed, the shock absorbers bumping heavily when the front tyres made contact with the ground level. At any other time, Sebastien would have reprimanded himself for this, but right now he had more important things on his mind. Slowing the car down a bit, he detected the cab by the side of his father's claret TransAm. Marie, however, was not inside any more. He knew, though, that she was nearby.

He looked around carefully. The two servants were standing by the elevator door, Maria holding hands with Raphael, and there was precious Jordana, striding along the empty driveway. Now Sebastien noticed a slight movement to his left, and he turned his head just in time to see Marie move like lightning towards the blonde. He was not fast enough to do much about it now, but he dearly hoped the girl would be able to react and even reach his car in time. Just in case he was lucky enough to slow Marie down, he accelerated, aiming the car directly towards the green-red blur that had to be Marie, and knocked her down. She was thrown into the air by the impact, gave a shriek and turned, landing on all fours like an overdressed gargoyle, but it took her a couple of seconds to re-orientate.

ooo

With a wan smile, Jordana watched Juan's face until it disappeared behind the shiny metal door. The car, as it began to move remained silent, the only noise coming from the machinery. It didn't take long to reach the underground parking, and as the doors slid open the blonde reached over squeezing Rafe's hand for several moments. "You'll be fine with Maria, Rafe. And I'll see you both soon."She only gave the older woman a smile, reassuring herself with a glance that the woman was capable. Maria seemed to know how much the young vampire needed the reassurance. _"I take good care, of Rafe. You don't worry, Senorita."_

Jordana gave a nod, then turned away, walking across the concrete. She vaguely noticed the TransAm, and a cab parked beside it, but paid no real attention. Her thoughts were on where she planned on going. It was the squeal of tires that brought her attention to the present. Looking up, Jordana recognized the Black Jag. And her first thought as the car gained speed, was that Sebastien was headed right at her. Everything seemed to slow as two things happened almost at once. The car swerved, aiming at something to the girl's right, and Jordana, using her celerity moved in a blur out of reach.

Hearing an inhuman shriek, the blonde turned in time to see another vampire landing on all fours, in the middle of the pavement. The woman's lips curled back revealing elongated canines, a low growl escaping as her angry gaze turned from the car to Jordana, violet eyes slamming into blue. And there was malice in their depths, that even at the distance she was, Jordana could see.

Without taking her eyes off the other vampire, Jordana heard the Jag back up, and stop beside her. When the door was thrown open, Sebastien's clipped tone could be heard within, _"Jordana, for Gods sake...get in."_ It was more forceful than the blonde was used to coming from the man, and it spurred her into action. She jumped into the open door, as the woman began speeding toward her. "What the hell is her problem?" Jordana asked pulling the door closed, with a thud.

ooo

Accelerating the car while Jordana closed the door, Sebastien looked into the rear mirror. They heard another shriek, this time more from frustration, but then Marie obviously changed her mind about attacking them. In fact, she was not even there any more. His mind flashed towards the two servants for an instant, rapidly discarding of the thought that she might harm them, though. They could look after themselves, and she needed them, anyway, to operate the elevator. He was not sure if Marie could handle an infernal machine like this on her own.

The Jag surfaced from the parking and filtered into the stream of the night traffic. "I am impressed by your determination, Miss Jordana, however it was the only reasonable choice. " Sebastien said without showing even a hint of his relief. "And, to answer you question, I have no idea what her problem is, and I would rather refrain from turning this over in my mind. I daresay, I like to keep my mind organized and unsoiled by any rubbish of this kind."

His father would probably have to pay for all that happened, but Sebastien could not help it now. He hoped the marks Marie's fingernails had inflicted were already vanishing; well, she brought it on herself to be knocked down like this: an eye for an eye. Moreover, Juan would be grateful that Jordana was safe, and as far as Sebastien knew, this outweighed most of it. To know her safe by his side, did a wonderful thing to his own condition, too. Keeping his eyes straight, he said: "May I suggest to drive you home, Miss Jordana?" It would be best for her, would it not, and the hotel did not offer any entertainment tonight.

_To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

_For disclaimer see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 9

The sleek black Jag breached the entrance of the parking garage, with Sebastien expertly manoeuvring into the line of traffic. And Jordana who had been looking out her window, turned as her companion began speaking. _"I am impressed by your determination, Miss Jordana, however it was the only reasonable choice..."_

There was a moment when the truth dawned on her, and with a shake of her blonde locks, Jordana sighed, "My God...that was Marie." A bemused smile played along her lips, as thoughts of that woman alone with Juan, tried to form in the girl's mind. Jordana knew if they met again, she wasn't going to back away from whatever game this bitch was playing.

_"May I propose to drive you home, Miss Jordana?"_ Sebastien's voice came through the silence of her thoughts, and Jordana glanced back at his profile. She hadn't fed yet this night, but it was the last thing on her mind at the moment. "I'm sorry that your father ordered you here, to take care of me. I'm sure there are better things you'd rather be doing. But thank you, I would like to go home." The blonde only assumed Juan had made Sebastien come and find her. She would never have dreamed it had been his own idea, or that he might find even the smallest pleasure in her company.

Paying attention to where they were, Jordana began giving directions, turning them away from the heart of the downtown section, and more toward older residences. The traffic thinned as they drove on lesser side streets, eventually turning down a long drive. It wasn't far from the middle of Miami, but seemed like a small haven in the centre of the bustling, glass skyscrapers.

Jordana gave a shrug, as the old Spanish style house came into view surrounded by the mature vegetation. "This was Roderigo's house...mine now." The exterior was whitewashed stucco, with dark wood trim standing out even in the faint light. It had deep verandas around the outside running the length of the building, and once inside the main living space, instead of glass windows, there were heavy shutters, or folding doors that opened out onto an interior court yard, making it seem like one lived partially out of doors, most of the time, in the tropical climate. However, upon inspection, one would notice the inside had been completely modernized. Plush furniture, scattered around the living room, and colourful rug lay over the tiled floor.

A wide staircase led up to the second floor, and Jordana motioned Sebastien to follow her as she climbed them. "If you don't mind keeping me company, Bastien." She really wanted a shower, but suddenly was tired...of the anticipation, and arguing. She didn't wait for Sebastien to decline her invitation, and walking through the doorway, the blonde threw herself down on the large bed, one arm covering her eyes. She didn't want to think about the woman, but her mind kept darting in that direction.

ooo

Of course, Jordana could not have known what to expect under the name of Marie. However, Sebastien caught himself in the act of blaming his father for that. Juan could well have elucidated the matter for her, could he not, it would have made the whole procedure somewhat easier. Well, now she knew, at last. "Yes, that was Marie," he said, and as always when he wasted a thought on her, he did not manage to keep his thoughts as orderly as usual. "Now you at least know what kind social circles my father sometimes mixes in." It sounded almost ironical.

In order to distract himself from the uncomfortable sensation, he concentrated on the traffic, his eyes narrowing only once when Jordana mentioned that she thought Juan had sent him. His father could have done so, of course, but when Marie was near, all reasonable thoughts seemed to escape him. Sebastien avoided to comment on her remark, though. She was having a rough time, hence there was no need to drive the proverbial dagger in any deeper.

The tall Vampire quietly followed her into the house, taking note of her comment concerning its former owner. He had heard that name before; it was when they walked along the beach, one night ago. For a moment, Sebastien wondered whether she had ever mentioned the name of Roderigo in front of Juan, too, and he doubted it. There it was again, the strange idea that she cared for him, and what is more, that he cared for her. But he was here, in her house now, was he not. The interior was much too colourful and way from meeting his taste, let alone the disarray, yet it suited the house's owner in an almost charming way, and Sebastien felt strangely welcome. Nevertheless, it was badly in need of a broom.

Goings upstairs behind Jordana, Sebastien once again asked himself what exactly made him do so. He could have left her to herself, now that she was safe, or he could have waited downstairs in the hall. Instead, he felt like following her wherever she went, while the mere fact that he did indeed feel something at all was hilarious. At her comment about him keeping her company, he cleared his throat, but just followed her with his eyes. And then she simply lied down on her bed instead of devoting herself to whatever things a woman usually fiddled with.

All of a sudden, Sebastien felt remorse for having followed her. There she was, lying on her huge bed, covering her face with a milky white arm, and he remained standing in the doorframe, feeling utterly lost. "Well," he finally uttered, clearing his throat one more unnecessary time. "I do not mind keeping you company, Miss Jordana. But of course I do not wish to impose myself on you. I take it you want to be alone now." It was as close to a lie as Sebastien could get, for first, he did not really feel like leaving her, and secondly, the way Jordana had behaved towards him before, did not indicate that she would want him to leave now. The alternative, though, whatever that might be, was unthinkable.

ooo

_"Well, I do not mind keeping you company, Miss Jordana. But of course I do not wish to impose myself on you. I take it you want to be alone now."_

"Oh, Bastien," Jordana sighed, letting the arm drop away, so she could look at the man hovering in the doorway, "I'm sorry...I've made you uncomfortable." The blonde sat up, then slid from the bed, moving over to the man. But then was Sebastien ever really comfortable? Stopping directly in front of him, the girl caught a hand that had been hanging at his side, in her own" He never really sent you, did he?" Jordana had plenty of time to think things through, and go over the last hours with Juan. And she knew he'd been to wound up, anticipating Marie's arrival to have given much thought to any thing... or anyone else. So it had to have been Sebastien's idea.

She searched those dark, guarded eyes, turned down in her direction. But Sebastien was a pro at the blank expression, and Jordana couldn't read what ever was going on behind the facade. There wasn't anything that she'd offered him, that he hadn't turned down. And even though she was still attracted to him, she didn't want to play those games anyway. If he didn't want her, then she'd have to respect that.

"I'll get changed, and we can go back downstairs." After a quick squeeze she let the hand drop, ready to turn away. "How did you get those scratches?" She asked, her eyes darting back up to the man's face, as if noticing for the first time. Her hand raised, fingers hovering close to his skin, but reluctant to touch, knowing he probably wouldn't want the contact.

ooo

He listened to Jordana's words in silence, watching her move from the bed towards him. She was trying to be polite, of course, and he would not expect any less, yet what she said only reflected her own uncertainty. This was unnecessary, but it characterized best at which point they met and at the same time differed. Sebastien would not dream of giving away that Juan did not send him. Had he been in a better state of mind, he would of course had thought of it. It was Sebastien's duty as his childe and son to act according to Juan's inclinations. Well, of course it had not entirely escaped Sebastien that he acted as he himself wished, too.

The immovable Vampire was prepared for quite a lot of things that could happen when Jordana approached him, such as an indecent offer, or at least one of those strange kisses his servants usually applied to his uncooperative lips. The simple touch the blonde's hand on his own provoked, however, was… most intriguing, for lack of a better word. He suddenly stood very straight. It was not even that she made him feel uncomfortable, like she said before, it was just utterly unexpected. And as soon as he arranged himself with the contact, it was gone again.

"They were produced by the short, yet highly effective acquaintance my face made with Madame Fontaigne's claws after I commented on her choice of food," Sebastien answered her question while trying to compose himself and to direct his thoughts to another topic. His face kept perfectly straight, even though he was well aware of the irony of his words this time. Marie did regard mortals as food only, forgetting that she herself had been human, too, long time ago. The mere thought of it was admittedly weird, for there was nothing humane left in her. 'Daimonion,' crossed Sebastien's mind, a word he had learned from Juan, but would have liked to hear from Javier, together with a better explanation than his father had to offer; especially because everything Juan told him stood in stark contrast to the strange affection he had for this woman.

These musings were futile. Moreover, they did not distract him in the least from Jordana's hand lingering over his cheek now. Her affection was true, and the feelings she radiated did not confuse him any more; her hesitation, though, did. The little warm sensation in the distant corner of his mind once more awoke, threatening to expand. Closing his eyes, Sebastien suddenly longed to be touched by Jordana again; at least just a little bit. Daring something he had never done before in his existence, he leaned in to her touch. When her cool hand came to rest on his skin, he realized that the effect was not as fatal as he had feared: in fact, he still managed to contemplate what he experienced, and he came to the conclusion that it met his expectations. He hoped she would let it remain in that state for a while.

ooo

"Bitch," she growled, just before Sebastien leaned in, making contact with her hand. The shock of his action, left Jordana speechless for several seconds, her hand frozen on his cheek. It was so unlike what she knew of Sebastien's behaviour for him to initiate contact, that it brought a faint smile to her lips. The blonde's fingertips traced lightly over the fading scratches, as her eyes moved up to meet his.

"It's one thing for Juan to invite this woman here for his sadistic little games, but another for her to think she can do whatever she wants with anyone else." Jordana was reluctant to move away or break the tiny bit of contact between herself and Sebastien, but she also didn't want to scare him by doing anything that would cause him to shut down again. This small action on his part was a step forward, in the girl's eyes.

Finally with a final caress, she took a step back, letting her hand drop to her side. "I haven't fed yet, tonight. Maybe after I change we could..."She gave him a little shrug, "Take a walk, and see who's out tonight?" Jordana had wanted to lean in and Kiss Bastien, but couldn't handle his cold motionless lips, waiting out the gesture, until she gave up. She'd had enough rejection for one night.

ooo

The continuing touch of her hand evoked strange images in front of his mind's eye, memories of different encounters with men and women alike, in different decades, different positions, mostly involving some kind of business. They were all nothing compared to this small gesture. It also produced a strange yearning… In point of fact, he felt that he was shaking slightly. Stop. Replay. It was probably only out of politeness that she gave in to his recklessness for a moment, and maybe it even was an act of friendship. On thing for sure, she fortunately did not want to seduce him or try any other profanities. And of course the physical reaction was created by no more than his hunger.

The fire in his eyes died shortly after he opened them again, leaving only the hint of a flicker when she took her hand away. "You are perfectly right, Miss Jordana," he said in a firm tone of voice, but still reluctant to move. "We share the same opinion." His eyes searched hers for a flash, and she could have traced in his glance what he left unsaid before he looked away again. He would not be lured into telling her the truth just because of a caress, especially not on an empty vein.

"We have all the time we need," he added, stepping into the passageway. "Yes, let us make a night of it." He made to step towards the staircase, but then, still feeling a bit foolhardy, he stopped and turned once more, resting his hands on the upper doorframe and giving her a once over. The way she was standing there in the middle of her boudoir made him actually contemplate watching her change, but of course this would be of no use, apart from being utterly silly. And as soon as he thought it he wondered where the idea might have come from. When he spoke, his voice was not as firm as before. "If you will excuse me, Miss Jordana. I shall wait downstairs. Please do take your time."

He turned away quickly and had to keep from hurrying downstairs, but of course he did not want to be impolite. Sitting down in one of the armchairs, he rested his arms on his knees and passed his hand over his brow. 'Those things are sent to try us,' Javier would have said. 'Do not give in to such folly, or you will make a fool of yourself.' Juan, though, would have retorted: 'No pain, no gain' or something similarly commonplace. Well, here was another first. For the first time in his existence, Sebastien asked himself if Javier was truly right, or if his father might have got a point there.

ooo

Jordana met Sebastien's gaze as he seemed to be searching for something, _"You are perfectly right, Miss Jordana...We share the same opinion."_ She wasn't sure which opinion he meant, but it had to be the lesser of the two, and decided on the hunger for blood, and not the other. Not from Bastien.

_"We have all the time we need...Yes, let us make a night of it."_ Jordana caught the pause, as he was almost out the door, and wondered if he would continue, but wasn't surprised when he only said he'd wait down stairs. Her eyes continued to watch until he disappeared. As much as she loved Juan's showiness and style, the blonde hoped making a night of it didn't include the type of production Juan would have liked.

No, tonight she just wanted to be casual and relaxed. A little sport wasn't uncalled for but dressing up and cruising the beautiful places wasn't what she was looking forward to. And the blonde didn't think Sebastien would want that either. Leaning in to her closet, Jordana pulled out a pair of well-worn low rise Levi's and a grey ribbed tank, and forgoing the shower so as not to keep her companion waiting, she threw them on. Then she moved into the bathroom, and applied a bit of makeup.

The entire time she was getting ready her mind worked, over Sebastien. It was sad to her to have this immortality, but never get any pleasure out of it. And she didn't mean just physical, although she wouldn't complain if Bastien tried ravishing her. The tinkle of a laugh escaped into the air at that thought. Preposterous, Sebastien would never bend his morals that much. However tonight had been a step in the right direction. And not for the first time she wondered how he could be so different from Juan. What or who had twisted his mind so much that he hid from life so completely.

With a brush of her long, pale mane, Jordana gave a last look. Then grabbing a pair of sandals, she strode barefoot down the wide stairs, seeing Sebastien sitting in one of the plush armchairs. "All ready," she said twirling around in front of him. No leather, no lace, no vampire chic, just a girl that still almost passed for human, wearing faded jeans, that left the diamond at her navel winking from under the hem of her form fitting tank. "I hope you don't mind that I didn't dress up. Sometimes I get tired of the show."

ooo

When she came downstairs, Sebastien carefully looked up, preparing for the worst. He could but try to keep himself from staring, though, because she looked so utterly… unexpected; so pure, so very much unlike the girls his father usually employed and/or dated. So very much unlike the world he came from. For a moment, the surrounding faded out and all his thoughts focused on Jordana sashaying in front of him, her hair sparkling in the light. Time stood still. Then he zoomed himself out of it again, and reality slammed back into life.

Wondering what on earth had just hit him, the Vampire got up, watchful to appear particularly composed now, and said: "In fact, it is highly convenient. If you don't mind…" With this, he took off his tie, carefully rolled it up, put it into a pocket and opened the top button of his shirt, as if this was the most audacious thing he had ever done. In fact, it was; apart from having leaned in to Jordana's touch.

He marvelled why it did not bother him that she was wearing a pair of aged light blue canvas trousers, only vaguely reminding of the workers who they had been invented for, although they were markedly more tight-fitting. The idea of himself wearing jeans would never have entered his mind. Thinking about this, he realized that he had never given much for what others were wearing. Recalling the strange and bizarre choice of clothes his father usually preferred, this was small wonder. And she was a sandal-swinger, after all, but this time the realization only made him try to smile once more. He did not make much of an effort, though.

"Yes," he said while walking to the door leading to the front veranda. "Sometimes I do get tired of it, too. But we do not always have a choice, do we. We have an existence to lead, and responsibility to take on, even if we might aspire something entirely different." He gave the doorframe a pat and stepped out into the soft night breeze. Apart from a just bearable mixture of garbage and seaweed, the wind carried quite promising scents of mortals far and near, and Sebastien felt like hunting tonight. He put his hands on the wooden railing and lifted his head, and had Jordana seen his eyes, she would have noticed the soft glow.

ooo

A bemused smile grew on Jordana's lips as Sebastien removed his tie. Of course he carefully rolled it up, and slipped it in his pocket, but hey, she'd take any forward steps from the man, she could get tonight. And it seemed almost monumental, the things he was doing tonight. The blonde thought she caught another smile trying to break over his face, but he turned away, possibly hiding it, if it had been there in the first place.

Sebastien moved to the door, speaking over his shoulder as he stopped in the doorframe. _"Yes, Sometimes I do get tired of it, too. But we do not always have a choice, do we. We have an existence to lead, and responsibility to take on, even if we might aspire something entirely different."_ The words spoken so casually, stopped Jordana in her tracks. It seemed Bastien had more to him then he'd ever let his actions show. And the blonde determined at that moment, for it to be her job to bring it out. This certainly wasn't going to be easy, or quick, but didn't she have all the time in the world?

Jordana stepped out into the tropical night air, standing behind the man, his face turned to the breeze, scenting the air, his shoulders more relaxed than he normally carried them. Bastien couldn't see the secretive smirk that curved her lips, as her voice came out in a soft purr, "Well, we have no responsibilities tonight. Tonight is for fun...and just for us."Then she chuckled leaning in close, but not touching, "I won't tell anyone you don't always wear a tie, strangling you into duty."

ooo

All Sebastien heard were the soft tunes of her voice, and all he felt was her enjoyable presence, quite close to him. Her words meant nothing, as his senses were tuned in to other things right now, and 'fun' was not part of his vocabulary, anyway. But her demeanour conveyed a sensation of strong trust and affection, even if it was still a bit too frivolous for his taste. This side effect, though, did not make him nervous any more; in fact, he was getting used to its familiar, yet unobtrusive ring.

With his back still turned towards her, he checked the area for lonely couples, feeling the first tentacles of something utterly close to anticipation tingle in his veins; a rare sensation. A woman to hunt with, now that was something for a change. He spent no further thought if she would turn out to be a reliable partner, or if she tended to spoil things by unnecessary decorum – like certain others had done before. Right now, Jordana felt as right as can be, and the contemplation programme in his mind was ready to shut down for a while. He let it do so and snarled softly.

When Sebastien looked over his shoulder to face her, his eyes showed his hunger. "We should suit our action to our words," he said, his voice even lower than usual. Leaning in for a moment, just to make sure she was with him, he broke away and jumped the railing. He did so just the way his father had done the night before, but of course he was not aware of that. What is more, he did not land with the dance-like flourish that would have been so typical for Juan, but instead he looked very much like a certain big black predatory cat ready for pouncing.

The effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact that the next moment he rose up again, and straightening his jacket and smoothing his hair back said: "There is a couple of mortals nearby, and I do hope they meet my requirements; at least one of them." Looking at Jordana, he realized that there was no need for any further explanation.

ooo

Jordana hadn't expected a response, so wasn't disappointed when Sebastien completely ignored her little jab at his uptightness. He continued to stand with his back to her, testing the air so to speak. However, she was surprised at the soft growl that came from him, just before he looked over his shoulder, _"We should suit our action to our words," _a hungry fire lighting the depths of his eyes. It was good to see Bastien's beast come out to play.

Her own gaze followed as the man vaulted over the rail, dropping to the ground, a predatory eagerness flowing through his body. And then in typical Sebastien fashion, he stood, as if he were in the middle of a formal gathering, slicking back his mussed hair, and straightening his clothing. _"There is a couple of mortals nearby, and I do hope they meet my requirements; at least one of them."_

Jordana chuckled, shaking her head, as she joined him on the ground below the veranda. Ah, yes the peculiar feeding habits of the nobility. _'Picky, picky '_ she thought, letting her gaze move out to the dark night. "I'm sure we'll find someone that meets, your...requirements, Bastien." She knew that Juan fed on young, dark, French men, but her curiosity was piqued as to Sebastien's appetites.

ooo

Since Sebastien lacked presence (apart from a certain natural one), wiliness and joie de vivre altogether to do something spectacular, his art of hunting was limited to a rather basic approach. He walked along the street looking for the right bait. His requirements, though, were not as picky as Jordana might have thought; in fact, they were quite simple, and what is more, closer at hand than she would have dreamed of. She could see it in his eyes when the first blonde girl passed them; a girl that looked, if truth be said, not so different from Jordana herself. The fact that the blonde Caucasian was accompanied by a Latin lover boy did not keep Sebastien from following them. And the look in the Vampire's eyes took on a triumphant glow when the couple started kissing and hiding in one of the narrow lanes, well hidden by walls and houses.

The guy noticed that they were being followed, Sebastien simply discarded him by shoving him away from the girl and directly into Jordana's arms. He did so that fast that the guy's blonde girlfriend had no time to react; nor had the boy himself any time to defend himself.

When the dark Vampire turned to look at the girl, controling her at once, she had just opened her mouth in protest, but the words faded before leaving it. He fed on her without any decorum or even foreplay and let go of her after licking the wound clean, as if she was an object you could dispose of when finished. When she leaned against the wall, somewhat weaklier than she would have expected after a quiet smooching in a dark corner, he passed his hand over her eyes, causing her to faint. Sebastien then prevented her from falling and turned to see what Jordana had been up to meanwhile.

ooo

Stalking the night beside Sebastien seemed rather right. Jordana was not the type that liked as much solitude as had been forced upon her with the death of her sire. In fact she was quite content to share, if nothing else, the hunt with Bastien as her companion.

As in most other things Sebastien was straight forward, and began following a couple almost immediately. They turned into an alley, at first not noticing the vampire, as they were caught up in a lovers embrace, but something must have alerted the human man because he suddenly seemed to notice Bastien shadowing them. When he made to protest, the dark haired vampire simply shoved him out of the way and into Jordana's waiting arms.

Jordana, with prey of her own, didn't watch Sebastien's actions, other than to notice the girl he'd picked...or at least the similarities between her and the girl. It was information stored away for later, as she smiled into the man's eyes, subduing him as her lips found the vein jumping wildly in his throat.

When she finished, the blonde leaned against the man, leaning against the wall, and enjoyed the feel of his blood coursing through her veins. But after a minute, she reached out closing the wounds with a last swipe of her tongue. "It seems you and your girl have had a bit too much to drink tonight," she whispered, planting the seed in his mind, "But you'll feel better very soon." With that she let him slide down the wall, to sit on the ground. Her eyes moved to Sebastien, who was still holding the limp girl, to keep her from falling. "Why Bastien, you never told me.." she gave him a sexy smirk, "… the type of woman you're attracted to." She let a tinkling laugh escape into the night.

ooo

The hunting – if you could call it that in respect of its brevity – had stirred Sebastien's feelings to some degree, but he was not yet satisfied. When Jordana addressed him, he looked at her, locking his gaze with hers for a long moment. Only then he seemed to realize that he was still holding the unconscious girl in his arms, and he reluctantly set her down by her lover's side.

He remained crouching next to the couple like a savage cat and looked up at Jordana once more. Only now her image gained in clarity again, and shaking ever so slightly and narrowing his eyes, Sebastien tried to exert at least some control over his mind and voice. "The choice of girls, Miss Jordana, is determined by my origin and first hunt, as you may well be aware of." He saw her smile and understood. He might be a lot of things, but naiveté was not among them. Only now it struck him that Jordana was indeed his type, too, technically speaking. He put it down to her different scent as a vampire that he had failed to notice this before.

He could not have found any explanation for his present state of mind, let alone the emotions that were starting to catch up with him, even if he tried to suppress them. The fact of the matter was that he neither wanted to get up nor look away from her, although he tried to sound as casual and unconcerned as before. "I daresay, you are rather attentive, even when hunting," he uttered, his voice guttural. He was perfectly aware that, coming from him, this was as great a compliment as she could aspire.

"Anyway…," he continued, finally picking himself up with one smooth movement, and coming to stand in front of her. "I propose another round." Strange enough for Sebastien's own usual attentiveness, it escaped his notice that a fat drop of blood had somehow missed its proper destination and was making its way to his chin like a tiny red rivulet.

ooo

An explanation was out of the dark haired man's mouth in seconds, and Jordana smiled. Heavens no. It would never do for Sebastien to just agree, admitting if she'd been human it might have been her throat his fangs would have been sliding into tonight. Of course he thought her smile was only because she understood what he was telling her.

Her blue eyes continued to watch as he crouched beside the couple for several minutes. _"I daresay, you are rather attentive, even when hunting,"_ his voice came out husky, almost as if he felt the emotions she had accused him of not having. But the Jordana chuckled, at Sebastien's comment. "Ah Bastien," she purred, "You know my family's reputation...our beast lies close to the surface...making me not always as attentive as you might think."

And as if his own lack of steel control tonight hadn't been enough of a surprise, he spoke again, _"Anyway….I propose another round."_ The sight of the tiny line of blood caught the girl's attention, and her eyes followed as it slid slowly down Bastien's chin. She could almost feel the texture of his skin under her tongue, taste the salty blood, as she licked...Suddenly Jordana snapped back to the present. Had it been someone other then Sebastien, she would have carried out the little fantasy, but she knew he'd probably freeze up if she tried it with him. So instead, she reached out stroking down the spot, then all the while, watching Bastien's eyes, licked the blood from her finger. "Mmmm," she breathed, "Yes, on to the next round."

ooo

This time, the touch of Jordana's hand on his face triggered off an astounding response, even after she took it away again. It seemed as if her fingers were glowing with heat, burning themselves into his skin with an impact that sent a shiver down his spine and almost made him wince. Watching her lick the blood off her fingertips as if he was spellbound, Sebastien suddenly felt the strong urge to devour her, to drink from her forever, and never let go. But before these dark waves managed to close over him, it was the very emotion itself that brought him back to reason.

He tore his glance away from Jordana and looked down at the unconscious girl, then sharply up again. Enough, he wanted to say, enough of this. But although his brain seemed quite unaffected and managed to form the words perfectly, his mouth yet refused to cooperate. All he could produce was another growl. He turned away abruptly and strode out onto the main street. After walking a few steps, though, he stopped, allowing remorse to catch up with him.

Was it not highly impolite of him to leave Jordana back in that alley for no special reason and without a proper explanation? Had they not assured each other's friendship the night before? Why would he act so selfishly then, and experience such a wave of apprehensiveness (or so he thought) towards her, after all they had already shared? He turned back, only to see her stand in the mouth of the alleyway, smiling. He could but guess that she knew something he was not aware of, and there was a reason for all this, after all. He tried to shake off a feeling of disquiet, but failed.

Finally making his speech organs work again, he said: "I must apologize, Miss Jordana. The beast. Yes, of course." He cleared his throat. "But so far as I am informed about the average hot temper, you still are outstandingly different." Something made him move towards her. He wanted to re-establish the contact, to experience this once more, and after one more step he extended his hand in order to touch her.

ooo

Sebastien had already turned away, but the growl lingered in the air causing the blonde to smile. Was this a sign of her companion's steel control slipping? She hoped so. No one could keep that reserve forever, and he didn't know how freeing it was to let go once in a while.

Her eyes followed as he stalked out of the alley, and she followed at a slower pace, only reaching the entrance when he turned back toward her. Jordana sensed the battle that was going on inside Bastien's head, and was walking a fine line so as to not cause all the progress he'd made tonight, to fold back inside him. She could have been so much more outrageous, but to push him too hard, too fast would be to lose him altogether.

_"I must apologize, Miss Jordana. The beast. Yes, of course...But so far as I am informed about the Hot-blooded, you still are outstandingly different."_ That assessment did cause a grin to form on the girl's face. But slowly it was replaced with surprise as he reached out his hand almost...

She knew by instinct that in a moment he'd have second thoughts, and pull back, so she swiftly took it, lacing her fingers through his, their hands the only link between them, for now. Jordana didn't know what to say, not wanting to ruin things, so she said nothing, letting the sounds of the night city settle around them.

ooo

The moment Jordana touched Sebastien's hand, time simply stopped. Rewind, replay. They met, they talked, Jordana standing by Juan's side, Jordana alone, kissing Liberty, they shared an adventure or two, Jordana smiling at him, approaching him, touching… Rewind, replay. Fast forward. Touching, again, and holding on to him. Sebastien stood there, petrified, unable to make any kind of move, while the hustle and bustle of the city faded out.

"Jordana, I can't…" he finally ventured, but faltered again. Unwilling to ever let go again, he held on to her hand. His heart actually gave one involuntary beat, making the blood rush unnecessarily loud in his ears for one precious moment. So, this was what Javier had warned him about. A weakness; how sickly, how elementarily dangerous. If Jordana dared embrace him now, kiss him like she had done with Liberty, he would find neither reserve nor the ability to resist temptation any longer. He half hoped, half feared she would come. No, he had to get a grip on himself. His feelings, if one could call them that, were irrelevant. He had a function, and a structure, and a system to survive in. And that was all there was to existence; no need to start feeling now.

He would have to explain those things to her. He was convinced she would understand even this complicated circumstance, although she would of course not completely agree with his reasoning. And yet he refused to let go of her. It felt… right, not really dangerous at all, set aside triggering off such an enormous amount of associations. However, Jordana could not enjoy any of his expositions, because the moment he opened his mouth to explain himself at last, a group of young men and women noisily ambled out of a nearby nightclub, and passing Jordana and Sebastien, one of them exclaimed jokingly: "Hey, look at those lovebirds!" This was accompanied by a row of laughter while the group sauntered away.

On cue, Sebastien dropped Jordana's hand as if he had just burned his fingers. In fact, it felt exactly like that, right now. He glared after the little group, then realizing his own desire to follow them and do something adequate like ripping their imperfect hearts out, he recoiled and started to run in the other direction. He sprinted half a block before slowing down and finally drawing back into another alley. There, he leaned against a wall and closed his eyes. Spoiled all, and no way out. He did not even know if Jordana was still with him. But after this poor performance, she would probably not want any further contact.

ooo

_"Jordana, I can't…"_

The words stood between them, and yet he didn't back them up with any action. His hand still remained in hers, held steady by the blonde. There was such a longing, even though it didn't show on Sebastien's face. And suddenly Jordana felt a calm settle over her, knowing her companion was about to show some vulnerability.

Sebastien's mouth opened, his eyes gazing into hers...but what filled the air wasn't his voice. _"Hey, look at those lovebirds!"_ Harsh laughter followed the words, trailing after the group as they moved off down the street. Just a bunch of kids, no harm, no problem. They'd already forgotten about the pair in the shadows, and Jordana's attention turned back to Sebastien, a smile on her face, ready to make some quip or another.

The words died on her lips, as her hand was released. Sebastien's eyes followed the human's progress down the street, a hungry, predatory gleam entering them. But suddenly, without a glance at the blonde by his side, he jolted away from her. It happened so fast, one minute full of hope, the next despair. And Jordana didn't even have time to call out, before Sebastien disappeared.

Slowly she tracked him, stopping at the mouth of the alley. What did you say to someone that was struggling so hard, to remain locked within themselves. Never to really live. "Sebastien?" she called softly, "I know you're there, please come out and talk to me..."

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

_Please see **chapter 1** for disclaimer!_

* * *

Chapter 10

He had not expected to hear her voice again so soon. Now that the melodious words, spoken softly yet insistently, reached his ear, he suddenly felt ashamed for his actions. She might turn his life upside down, but at least she acted her age, whereas he merely acted ridiculously. Sebastien forgot to smooth back his hair, but managed to straighten his jacket before emerging from the alley. While stepping into the light of the street lamps, he did not dare look at her.

"I am," he said somewhat firmly, "out of words for this miserable spectacle." He almost staggered, and even noticed himself that right now his composure was lousy, but he had to keep it up at all cost. Of course she was worried. She had a right to be so. But apart from the obvious concern, she again radiated this utterly soothing merry peacefulness he had sensed about her before. He slowly lifted his head until he looked into her eyes, the soft gleam of turquoise reflecting the dark fire of his own.

"If we hunt again tonight," he said after a long pause, "I will be inclined to kill some innocent mortal. I have no detailed knowledge of the jurisdiction of the local Camarilla, but I had rather not risk it, if I may say so, and I usually despise this kind of action, anyway." He shifted uneasily for a moment, looking along the street, then back at Jordana. "Maybe we had better go back to the hotel and have another snack at the…" he cleared his throat, "… the bar."

It was not up to him though. Whatever she decided, he would follow her. Now that his ratio system had finally short-circuited, he had to leave it to her to take the matter into hand. It was strange: somehow he knew this situation only too well from a dozen or more of similar incidents. But in the past, it had been Juan, of all people, who always brought him back in line, strange as it may seem. It dawned on Sebastien that an un-life without emotion, such as Javier was leading, could function only as long as its pace was not changed by other important influences, or else he needed a companion to act as a pace maker, or he would finally have to stay away from society. Coming to the conclusion that this was out of the question, he added: "If you please, Miss Jordana. I beg you to decide, and I will do whatever you regard as sensible." He tried to smile again, and this time managed a twitch.

ooo

Sebastien stumbled from the darkened alley. There was no other word for it, and being so unlike the control he usually exhibited, Jordana was surprised. Well almost. She knew tonight something had worn down that tight resolve, but hadn't known it would so disable his calm, efficient identity. Hadn't this been what she wanted? Aimed for? To prove that under all that cold reserve, there was still fire? Maybe, but not at such a personal expense. What was it they said...be careful what you wished for?

"I am...out of words for this miserable spectacle." She wanted to reassure him that it didn't matter. Hell, Jordana had made a spectacle of herself many times. But he continued, "If we hunt again tonight...I will be inclined to kill some innocent mortal. I have no detailed knowledge of the jurisdiction of the local Camarilla, but I had rather not risk it, if I may say so, and I usually despise this kind of action, anyway...Maybe we had better go back to the hotel and have another snack at the… the bar." His eyes darted down the street, before looking at her, and the blonde waited until he was done, knowing how hard the suggestion must be. "If you please, Miss Jordana. I beg you to decide, and I will do whatever you regard as sensible."

Taking a step closer, Jordana stopped directly in front of Sebastien. She didn't touch him, not at first, only gazing into his dark eyes trying to find the answer. It wasn't the hotel, or the bar. She had a feeling he despised those places at times, and tonight it wouldn't be the best place to be. "Bastien..." she reached out, seeing the attempt at a smile, and took his hand, "I think my haven is a better choice. No prying eyes, no one to tell tales...a safe place. You can catch your breath, so to speak," she smiled at the choice of phrases. "Trust me...just a little." Pulling the unresisting man along, she hurried through the dark streets, back the way they'd come.

ooo

Walking with Jordana like this was indeed unique and strange, but over all quite beneath his dignity. Sebastien let her hold his hand for some time nonetheless, although he had to fight the growing feeling of awkwardness, and only when this amounted to ridicule, he let go, following her while keeping an appropriate distance. While they were thus walking back to the house, he indulged in thinking nothing particular, his eyes focused on Jordana only. The streetlights, the cars, the late night strollers, they all passed him in a kind of blur, until a mortal, brushing against him, caught his attention, the body heat showing in an almost ethereal glow.

He stopped and turned, his eyes narrowing, but when Jordana looked at him, he just went on walking. Now that his mind had received the jolt, though, it set to work once more. No prying eyes, no one to tell tales, a safe place, she had said. Some part of his mind tried to tell him that there was no safe place on earth apart from the one he had left forever, back then, when they left Versailles. He had never met Javier after his embrace, but he was convinced that his 'grandfather' would take him back and go on educating him, just like he had done before they were banned, if he only dared call him.

Another part of his mind told him that it could, after all, be possible that he erred here, and might finally find another place as safe as Versailles. The fact that Jordana offered him her haven, her protection even, stirred him to some extent. It was something he had never experienced before. He started to trust her, it would be nice to get some rest, he really longed for some rest. She was perfectly right about the 'audience' they would have at the hotel. And again he appreciated her attentiveness regarding the circumstances. He would not have thought it possible for a Vampire without telepathic skills to have such an insight; and yet, she had.

He had again been wandering on without paying much attention to his surroundings, and only when she stopped, he realized that they were back at Jordana's house. He carefully looked around. There were no spectators. Taking heart, he reached for her hand again. "Apart from my father," he said solemnly, "it is you I trust most." With this, he lifted her hand to his lips, lingering over it for a moment without actually touching, then bowed to show his devotion. Although performed with quite an art, after decades of practise, and it had never meant anything to Sebastien but a polite gesture. Right now, he had nothing else in mind, either.

ooo

Jordana had reasoned that a man as uptight as Sebastien wouldn't want the others, subordinates, seeing him have a breakdown. Oh he might not agree that, that's what was happening, but from her viewpoint, Bastien's barriers were crumbling. He allowed her to hold on to his hand far longer then she had thought he would, but when he let go it felt like a void.

The pair moved silently, slipping through the night, unnoticed, at least until another pedestrian almost ran into them, drawing Sebastien's attention to the human. He stopped, a calculated look in his eyes, but when he saw Jordana watching, ready to intervene, he turned away continuing on. The blonde had been afraid he would do what he'd warned her of, but the threat evaporated the farther away from the main road they moved, until they were back at Jordana's home, only the music of night sounds filtering around them.

Jordana was surprised when Sebastien captured her hand once again, "Apart from my father...it is you I trust most." He lifted her hand, as if to kiss it, but instead bowed his head over it. Blue eyes moved over the bent head, examining the mussed, dark hair. And in that moment she wondered how Bastien could be so blind. He'd lived on this earth for so long following rules set down by someone else. Had he ever been happy?

Giving his hand a quick squeeze, Jordana said, "Come on, let's go inside." This time it was her turn to pull her hand free, and she padded quietly to the door, throwing it open. At the entrance, she slipped the sandals off, flashing cotton candy pink painted toenails, and casually threw herself down on one of the comfortable couches. Her gaze lifted to see if Sebastien would indeed follow her into the house.

ooo

Sebastien followed her with his eyes, but hesitated to enter. He remained standing in the doorway, watching her lie down on the couch, the belly button (ah yes, and the toenails) twinkling in the soft light. She was beautiful, although not spectacularly so. He had seen women (and men) work for his father who were far more striking than her. And yet…There had to be something else that made her so especially attractive to him, an inner glow, like some kind of heat, that made her shine, a visible serenity inherent in her perhaps, one he was totally lacking… or just the fact that, right now, he would have trusted her with his life. Or maybe one thing just led to the other, and he was acting irrationally anyway.

The bloodlust was gone, or so it seemed, yet a vague thrill was lingering on, a strange tension quite unfamiliar to Sebastien. He wondered what this new sensation could imply, but among all those strange new feelings he had experienced this night and the night before it was only fitting. Reluctant to look away from her, he slowly stepped into the room. She was still smiling and keeping up the eye contact between them, as if she was waiting for something. Had it been another night, Sebastien would have suspected that she was trying to seduce him, or something similarly secular, but right now this was of course highly improbable.

After standing in the middle of the room for a while, he resolved to sit down on the couch next to the one she was lying on. The way he did so stood in sharp contrast to Jordana's easy casualness, and although he would not ever admit it, he admired her Hot-blooded – or maybe just human – mind-set that allowed her to behave that way, whereas he had to confine himself to sitting upright, in fact one could even call it stiffly. It would never have entered his mind that his special way to behave was not due to his blood, but rather to his character.

They should talk. Right now, he would have liked to say quite a lot of things, but the appropriate words would not come. For one thing, he would have liked to thank her. Well, that could not be too hard, could it. He cleared his throat and finally managed to talk, but only after breaking the eye contact. "I appreciate your help, Miss Jordana. This is an agreeable abode, and your presence is downright…" His cell phone rang.

Had Sebastien's façade been crumbling for the last hours, it was re-established as if by magic the moment he heard Howard's voice. He felt impatient, almost angry, because of the interruption, although he did not show any of this in the little talk that followed. "My apologies," Sebastien said after Howard had made his point. "I realize that my exact words, as you so precisely recited, entailed the most probable delivery of the next rate for tonight. However, I do not recall making any promises. You have my word, as I already said, if I am not very much mistaken, that the whole transaction will be completed by the end of the week. This, Mr Howard, must suffice, and I count on your understanding that at present we cannot act in another manner."

He listened to the grumbled answer before pressing the disconnect button. Then, with a fleeting glance at Jordana, he put the cell phone into the cell phone pocket of his jacket. He actually felt like sighing. Fortunately, he was still a master at holding back.

ooo

As Jordana lay on the couch, her hair pooling around her like a halo, she kept eye contact with the man standing at the door. She was about to ask Sebastien if he'd made up his mind, about coming inside, when he moved through the door. And if she were disappointed that he chose the other couch to sit on, her smile never conveyed the fact. Her eyes moved over her companion, sitting so stiffly, so uncomfortable with the casualness she took for granted, but before she could tease, he spoke breaking the silence. "I appreciate your help, Miss Jordana. This is an agreeable abode, and your presence is downright…"

It never failed, just when they might get some things out in the open, something had to interrupt...and this time it was his phone. And as she watched Sebastien answer, he seemed to pull himself back together somewhat. Jordana listened to Sebastien's side of the conversation, without a single interruption on her part, then when it ended she watched him disconnect, and slip it into his inner jacket pocket. The business was finished, but as she watched her companion, Sebastien started getting agitated.

Sitting up, the blonde swung her legs over the edge and stood, completing a little stretch, before moving to the seat beside him. "Bastien," she said reaching out to smooth back his mussed hair. And while he was distracted, by her boldness she leaned in grabbing the phone. An evil gleam sparkled in her eyes, as Jordana hit redial, listening to the phone ring at the other end. But realizing what she'd done Sebastien now tried to get the phone back, and the blonde used evasive actions to keep him from it.

'Hello? Hello?...Who the hell...Sebastien...' came from the phone and Jordana put a finger up to her lips gesturing Sebastien to be quiet. 'Sebastien, you ...' Jordana put the phone to her ear cutting off the rest of Howard's words. "Ah, now that's not very nice, Howard," the blonde purred into the phone, listening with a growing smirk. "Of course it is. Now the reason I called...I know what you expected, but, well to tell you the truth, Darling, you're ruining my private little party. Yes, with him..." Jordana laughed, a sound that could run a shiver up the stoutest male spine. "Now, wouldn't you like to know...sorry, but I don't kiss and tell." There was a long pause on her end while apparently Howard spoke to her, and the girl's smile widened. "You know you can trust them, and I'm sure the good will be worth the wait...Ok, see you then. Oh and Howard...I'll be sure to take that into consideration." With a press of the button, Jordana ended the call and flipped the phone back towards Sebastien, a smirk curving her lips. "Howard's agreed to wait. He said something about not being unreasonable, in certain circumstances."

ooo

'Confused' was a mild expression for Sebastien's state of mind, especially when Jordana sat down by his side. The little chat with Howard had not exactly gone down the drain, yet it left a nasty taste in his mouth that the whole deal was at stake; an image that made him positively nervous. His father would, as he used to put it, Be Not Amused. Juan usually managed to mend such kind of affairs, but he preferred to have no need of that ability.

Feeling Jordana's hand combing through his hair made Sebastien's heart beat more than once. He had assumed that she had something else in mind after all; now his assumption was confirmed. Strange enough, this time he did not feel like fighting it. On the contrary: it felt quite comfortable, now that he had come to trust her. And had he not resolved to abide, whatever she decided to do tonight? He could give it a try… Just when he was about to lean back and finally succumb to her touch, she suddenly snatched the cell phone out of his pocket.

In normal circumstances Sebastien would have been highly annoyed and might have knocked the phone out of her hand with an adequate amount of consternation and without thinking. This time, however, he felt merely disappointed. Whatever he did, he seemed to get it wrong. It added to his misery that, while he tried his best to get the phone back as politely as possible, she had already dialled Howard's number and was actually talking to him. What is more, she seemed seriously concerned about the deal – just the way he had felt about it after the phone call, to be honest – and ambitiously talked to Howard in that strange manner he had not been able to fully comprehend first place.

In spite of this noble effort, he just had to retrieve the phone before any serious harm would be done. But she was annoyingly fast. Whenever he raised his hand, she turned before he could get it. He made a last, almost desperate attempt, jumping at her while hastily groping for the phone. At the same moment she finished the call and jokingly threw her arms up to prevent him from grabbing it. He hit her in mid-jump, pouncing on her, and they both tumbled from the couch onto the carpet, with Sebastien landing on top of her. His hands still holding her arms, Sebastien remained in that pose out of sheer incredulity.

ooo

Jordana would never tell Sebastien the things Howard had said at his end of the conversation. But she and Howard had understood each other quite clearly, even if he'd been amused that she'd bother with the uptight man. The two vampires might appear like they hated each other, might even beat the crap out of one another, but they had come from the same gutter. And that meant they could tear each other apart, but no body else better mess with them.

Howard didn't really distrust Juan or Sebastien all that much, but he loved yanking their chains, and Jordana had known that when she placed the call. But he was willing to give a little room, now, because she'd had the nerve to call him on it. It was probably something she could never explain to Sebastien. And besides, it had been fun ruffling his feathers tonight, as he tried to get the phone away from her. Maybe the most animated she'd seen him.

Dodging away one last time, the blond was surprised as Sebastien's body made contact with hers, tumbling them both to the floor. Blue eyes opened wide, as she looked up at the man laying on top of her, pinning her arms with a grip on each of them. A slow grin curved her lips, "Here I've been trying all night to get you into this position... and all it took was a little business conversation." She would have wound her arms around him but he held them still, and so Jordana did the next best thing, she lifted her head closing the small distance, and kissed Sebastien, pouring as much passion as she could into it, trying to coax a response from him.

ooo

The strange sensations that had been chasing each other, one by one, amounted to something close to an implosion when Jordana kissed him. Unable to any kind of response other than to hold still, Sebastien indulged in this completely new and fascinating aspect of this kind of physical contact. It had never been that way when Liberty or any of the others kissed him. Again, he wished the moment to last forever, he could not tell why, but it was as appropriate and timely as a new experience could be, in fact it felt almost as good as the act of nourishing.

And although Jordana was as cold as himself, the connection thus established between them created a strange kind of energy quite similar to heat; if truth be told, a heat that formed not exactly at the source, but rather around other places to which Sebastien would not ever have attributed any special function (apart from the rather redundant symbol of superiority) before this amazing incident. All this led to the equally astounding conclusion that he did not feel the urge to draw away from her.

He was still convinced, though, that this singular happening did not imply any further action on either side, as it would have done, intrinsically, had Jordana been mortal. No, they both were Vampire and thus not predisposed to get involved in these profanities, like sexual intercourse or the like, and he enjoyed this new state of feeling the more because it was consequently harmless.

It took him by surprise when he realized that his body corresponded quite differently, putting into question all the conclusions he had just come to. When the realization dawned on him, he closed his mouth, thus interrupting the kiss, and then his lips formed a surprised "oh."

ooo

It didn't help that Sebastien wasn't participating, but Jordana took it as a good sign that he hadn't pulled away either. With her arms still pinned to the ground, she couldn't touch him the way she wanted to. With only her lips, Jordana poured as much passion into the kiss as she was able, willing him to give a little in return.

She felt Sebastien's mouth close, and let her head fall back. Disappointment sliced through her, and Jordana didn't want to open her eyes to see the cold, unemotional look, she was sure her companion wore. But after several seconds, when he hadn't moved, she did open them. The look of sheer surprise, stopped whatever words had been on the blonds lips, and it was then she noticed the effect her kiss had, as his body pressed into hers. "Bastien.." she breathed, afraid of breaking the spell, and seeing him close down.

ooo

Apart from his colourless childhood, Sebastien had spent his entire life among ladies and gentlemen of the oldest profession. He employed them, he worked as their manager, he even supervised them, although his father usually preferred to do the latter. All the time, he had known what those similar kinds of activity, also called positions or styles, implied, yet he had never understood what it was all about; up to now. And now that he caught a glimpse of what was behind it, he was still unable to perform with even half the passion and enthusiasm the others had provided so easily. It was simply not in him.

In other words: what he merely managed to do was lean into the kiss once more, this time with full physical contact, and let her carry on as she pleased. It kept feeling nice, and now that something had come up all by itself, he felt obliged to take certain measures he regarded commensurate with the situation. He did not know where to start, though. This was strange, too: ever since the first time he had to stand in for his father, he had never found the need to hesitate. It had always been an act of control and nothing to be ashamed of. It had, of course, never been that way before, either. Even more strangely, right now he did not have the desire to control her.

After having enjoyed the whole range of kissing (at least, as the receiving party), Sebastien broke the contact again, just in time before his brain would finally decide to shut down. Still kneeling over Jordana, he took the cell phone out of her hand and put it on the couch. Then, without taking his eyes off her, he removed his jacket, folded it meticulously and laid it on top of the cell phone. And that was it. His imagination (so far as one could talk about that in connection with Sebastien) simply deserted him. Instead of doing anything sensible, he supported himself against the couch and carried on watching the blonde girl in front of him, secretly hoping that she would take the matter in hand (no pun intended), just as she had done before.

ooo

Jordana was surprised when Sebastien leaned back into their embrace. Well she was really the only one actively participating, but even this much acceptance on his part was a change. She didn't know why he had to be so...stubborn. Yes, it was stubbornness, because even though Sebastien wasn't actually kissing her back, he was enjoying it.

After several minutes of her coaxing , and him holding back, Sebastien finally lifted himself away. Taking the cell phone from her unresisting hand, he set it on the couch behind him. Then he took his jacket off, all the while keeping eye contact. It would have been funny, if it wasn't so serious. First the tie, now the coat. Jordana wondered how he was going to contain all his excitement. Ok, sarcasm wouldn't help at the moment. However it was rather comical that he would carefully fold his jacket, right in the middle of her seduction. Or maybe the blonde should have been offended, by the gesture. But no, as she thought about it, it seemed more like a delay tactic.

Sebastien had leaned back against the couch, still looking at Jordana, and she had the impression of a deer in headlights kind of thing. Suddenly the thought shot through her mind, 'He doesn't know what to do.' Gracefully she sat up, and crawled to him, her eyes holding his steady. When she sat beside her companion, the blonde reached out brushing his cheek with her fingertips. They ran down the side of his neck, stopping at the top button of his shirt, toying with it. She leaned in close, "Sebastien, I can't do this alone. If you don't want to continue, just tell me..." She had to know it wasn't just some sort of polite gesture that kept him here tonight.

ooo

This was getting utterly ludicrous. "My apologies," Sebastien said, taking hold of Jordana's hand and giving it another fleeting kiss with perfect elegance, which looked quite strange because it stood in stark contrast to his unchanging sombre expression. "I know I am making a fool of myself. It is just that…" he stood up, swooping her up in his arms, "… in comparison to the…" He walked to the staircase. "… incidents of the decades past and to the experiences that disclosed themselves to me arising from said incidents… you deserve better."

With the stern look on his face that is usually reserved for children and desperate heroes, he carried her upstairs and to the bed she had been lying down on several hours ago. Back then, he did not even dream of what he was going to do now; even now, he was not quite sure where this would end. However, he could assess at least this part of the situation to some degree, because he only too well remembered the setting: Jordana lying on the huge bed, looking at him... just like now. Without any change of expression and constantly holding the eye contact with her, he took one, two steps back and undressed. He did so in the same careful and meticulous fashion as before; anything else would have been unthinkable.

When he had finished discarding his clothes, he knelt down by her side and waited. It showed in his eyes that his fierce determination had lasted up to this point, but again failed to guide him on. "I do want to continue, Jordana," he finally said. "If it is the last thing I want." He closed his eyes, but this time managed to keep his mind from rebooting. Instead, when he opened them again, they showed the dark glow that had filled them while they had been hunting; a cold fire that made his face look quite sinister. "Whatever may come to light," he said, still setting his words precisely, yet sounding a bit more guttural than usual. "I take it we are going to find out about it soon enough."

ooo

It hadn't been apologies that the blonde vampire was looking for. And even the polite kiss, done with flair wasn't satisfying to her. Jordana wanted to scream at the lack of passion her companion was exhibiting. But then he did something unexpected, something outside the script. Sebastien swept her up in his arms, moving gracefully to the stairs. Letting her head rest on his shoulder, Jordana buried her face in the side of Sebastien's neck. Her silken hair fell across the man's shoulder like a curtain, until he lowered her to the bed.

He might tell her she deserved better, but Jordana didn't think so. There was something about Sebastien…he acted like he didn't deserve good things to come his way, like obedience was the only thing that ruled his life. But as she lay there, looking up at him, her companion began to undress. Her lips quirked up at the corners as he meticulously folded each garment, before setting it aside, and when he finished he came to the edge of the bed kneeling beside her. "I do want to continue, Jordana…If it is the last thing I want." He closed his eyes like it was a painful admission, but when they reopened, she finally saw the spark of fire in their dark depths. "Whatever may come to light," he said, softly. He still hadn't made any move toward her, "I take it we are going to find out about it soon enough."

Jordana sat up, searching Sebastien's face one last time. Then satisfied with what she saw, put a hand to his cheek, "You're the first person…I've brought here. To my bed. You're no fool, Sebastien, and I thought you should know." She couldn't bear him thinking he was one of many brought here to seduce. What she did elsewhere was never brought back to her haven. With a quick movement, she pulled the tank top off letting it drop to the floor. Then swinging her legs to the edge, Jordana shimmied out of the jeans, leaving her as bare as her companion. Leaning toward Sebastien, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, meeting his lips in a kiss. "Come to bed, Bastien," she whispered.

ooo

As if Jordana's voice once more triggered off the kinetic energy needed to set him in motion, Sebastien rose and moved onto the bed, and in the same swift movement took her into his arms, literally pinning her down. For just this once, there was no stopping, no replaying, and no second thoughts; well, and no foreplay. The blue fire in her eyes was encouragement enough, and all the leftover mental images as well as the surroundings equally faded until there was nothing but Jordana. For the first time in his life, Sebastien managed to uncouple from the burden of his existence, and although his performance was not even remotely as passionate as his father's, he was at least capable of lowering his shields, more than he had ever done before.

Of course he knew what to do, and he was good at it. After all, his mind might keep a polite distance, but his body had a memory of its own. Their bodies were moving in perfect unison, and all the while he stared at Jordana with unblinking gaze, partly in surprise, partly with an almost blissful expression. This was too good to be true. His whole body felt alive, electrified, his senses were as wide as they had never been before, and for a moment he could see all the colours and shades, not only the auras, but also the threads, the connections, the colour of sound. Into this well-ordered chaos, while his body and mind were focusing on the one outcome their mutual action must have, leaving him totally unguarded, an emotional outburst suddenly hit his mind, a red hot pain searing through him that did not come from the depths of his own system. He reared and cried out.

All the emotions, all the vibrancy of their mutual movement and closeness and intimacy seemed to be swiftly cut through by an invisible sword, leaving Sebastien cold and lonely and filled with an enormous sadness rather than any other kind of aftermath. Still on top of her, he clung onto Jordana, shaking violently, and he closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. "Father," he whispered. "I could feel him. He is hurt. The pain, the pain... I cannot fathom how he bears this, I can feel his repentance, but it's not enough. It's never enough." Part of him did not want his mind to shut down right now, but he could not keep the inevitable from happening. Red tears were still seeping into her hair while his countenance was already freezing over again.

ooo

When Sebastien decided to do something, he did it well. And Jordana was pleasantly surprised when he took over. And that was about the last thoughts through her mind while they moved in unison. She looked up, and his eyes holding her own with a steady gaze were the only thing she saw. It was hot, and hard, and as Jordana cried out, she heard Sebastien follow suit.

However, what she didn't expect was for Sebastien to start shaking. His arms clung to her and she wrapped her own around him, beginning to worry that maybe she'd pushed him too far. "Father...I could feel him. He is hurt. The pain, the pain... I cannot fathom how he bears this, I can feel his repentance, but it's not enough. It's never enough." The words came out in a strangled whisper, against her hair, and Jordana began to frown. One of her hands reached up, combing through Sebastien's dark hair in a soothing gesture.

Jordana knew she was already loosing Sebastien once again, as his body began to stiffen. 'Damn, Juan.' she thought, not happy that he'd managed to ruin this too, with his games...and that bitch coming to town. Of course the blonde had no idea how bad the situation was. All she knew was he'd pushed her aside for this Marie. "Shhh...Bastien...It's his choice." But she knew she and Sebastien weren't going to be basking together in any afterglow... not tonight. And it made her sad.

ooo

In contrast to the time before the 'happening' (and Sebastien would refer to it, if ever, as 'the happening' only, even in his thoughts), he did not feel ashamed in front of her. This was a logical consequence after what they had just shared, was it not, and especially at such a high level of intimacy; in the original sense. This time, the act had not borne any profanity at all, on the contrary it had led to the astounding revelation that he was doubtlessly capable of some kind of emotion, after all, and that after more than hundred years of his existence, he had won a friend. And when it was over, he would even have dared enjoy staying in her arms for a minute or two. But as destiny had not allowed him to enjoy much up till then, why should it make an exception now?

Maybe it was good that things had happened this way. In any case, it could still be that Jordana was not as loyal as he had come to believe, albeit his senses told him that she was. He had to admit to himself that, even though he would never have thought so first place, his father had chosen her initially because she was useful; and because many vampires did not have great telepathic abilities… And of course, because she was outstandingly beautiful, he had to add, while the slight doubt lingered behind if Juan would have really cared.

"I know," he answered. "It is his choice, and I am perfectly aware of its impact. However, there is a reason for all this, and whereas I must leave you in the dark about the details, I have a right to try to find out about something…" Her hands in his hair were most distracting, but he was in the position to ignore them – more or less. "Thanks to you, I finally find the courage to do so, Jordana." He sat up, unconsciously caressing her hand. "May I use your phone?"

ooo

Jordana looked up at Sebastien, blinking as he spoke, "I know. It is his choice, and I am perfectly aware of its impact. However, there is a reason for all this, and whereas I must leave you in the dark about the details, I have a right to try to find out about something…" He was serious as always, but this time it seemed like he was pondering something he would have never done before. "Thanks to you, I finally find the courage to do so, Jordana."

Sebastien pulled away, not unkindly, sitting up on the bed beside her. He took her hand and stroked it absently, "May I use your phone?" For a second Jordana wondered if she should be mad, that he could so easily brush off what had just happened between them, but the look in his eyes changed her mind. That and the fact that she knew he was worried about Juan. "Yes, of course..." she gestured to the table on the other side of the bed. "What ever you need." Her eyes remained on her companion, as she also sat up, pulling the sheet up to pool in her lap.

ooo

He gave her a sidelong glance that could be interpreted as grateful by those mastering 'Bastien talk' and leaned across her. He was well aware that his naked skin touched hers, but the plain fact that this kind of closeness did not disturb him in the least was extremely comforting. Propping himself up on one elbow while keeping the reassuring contact with her legs, he reached for the phone.

He had learned Javier's phone number by heart, had known it for years, yet Sebastien felt his pulse for a moment when he picked up the receiver. There was no way back now. After another moment's hesitation, he punched in the numbers and was gratified by the familiar sound of a French ringing tone. It tooted ten times before the call was answered and a strict female voice asked him quite harshly - and of course in French - who he was and what he wanted.

Just then, Sebastien realized that in France the sun must have risen long since; the time difference was a fact he had simply ignored. He started making an apology, equally in French, albeit a bit out of practice, but the woman interrupted him in broken English: "Monsieur de St Germain will talk to you." There was a clicking sound and a mechanical voice asked him to hold the line, then, after another 20 seconds, the phone was answered again. This time, the deep and yet slightly tinny voice of Javier himself rang out.

"Sebastien. It has been a long time." He spoke accurate British English with just a minor French accent, and his tone of voice was everything but cordial. "What do you want?"

Sebastien automatically sat up straight and almost bowed, like he had used to do in the presence of his grandfather back then, and especially now that the he knew what the word Justicar meant. "Sir. I have a request to make. I would like to talk about Monsieur de Gers, sir," he said a bit awkwardly. "I would be obliged if you listened to my plea, although I must admit that I should have waited upon your Honour a long time ago. Under the circumstances, I hope for your understanding."

There was a pause, and only the static of the long distance connection filled the silence. Then, Javier replied: "I take it you appeal for clemency on behalf of your sire. It honours you that you want to speak in his defence, yet I must reject your plea. The deed was obvious and the culprit proved guilty, alas! he himself admitted his guilt."

The tall Vampire, looking like a schoolboy right now, made a final desperate attempt. "With all due respect, sir, he is your childe, and he is full of remorse. Is there no justice, and can there be no mercy?"

After another long pause, Javier's voice rang out once more, as clipped and emotionless as ever. "There is indeed one justice, and it is the one law we abide by. I do not need remind you, of all Vampire, of our traditions. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford." He let the sentence sink in before he continued. "If you still prefer to stay by your sire's side, I will accept your decision, just as I accepted it before. Should you come to you senses and return to Versailles, you will be welcome." There was another clicking sound, and they were disconnected.

Sebastien put down the phone and remained sitting there without a word for several minutes. His façade had been quite fixed at the beginning of the conversation, but now he was working his jaw and narrowed his eyes in thought. All that time he had been longing to talk to Javier, but he had somehow hoped that the exchange would be blessed with better fortune. He realized only now that in his passionate state, he had aspired that Juan would be reprieved, although a part of his mind had always known better. Maybe that was why he had never called. And now he knew.

Feeling Jordana look at him, he leaned back, took a deep breath and said: "Very well." He looked her straight in the eye, again finding comfort in her expression, and he was once more grateful that she had no telepathic skills. "I would like to use your phone for a second time, please. Just a short call at the hotel, to make sure that everything is all right." His voice was astoundingly stable and his features equally showed no trace of the turmoil inside.

ooo

Jordana was surprised when Sebastien leaned across her, their skin rubbing against each other. She would never have suspected by his straight laced, up tight demeanour that he would be comfortable in the nude. She certainly wasn't complaining, as she watched him pick up the receiver, and after a slight hesitation dialled the number. 'Everything's going to be alright,' she thought, a hint of a smile crossing her lips, as she gazed at Bastien's back.

How wrong that was. As the call was picked up at the other end, Sebastien's body language changed before her eyes. First he began speaking in French, something Jordana couldn't follow, then suddenly he was sitting up, stiffly, as someone else took the call. Jordana didn't need anything more than her acute vampiric hearing to listen to what was being said. It wasn't as if she were spying, and if Sebastien had wanted privacy all he had to do was ask. It wasn't hard to follow the conversation, and as she listened, the blonde was shocked by the content of the other man's words. However, when the call was cut short abruptly by the man hanging up, Jordana filed away the information she'd gathered about Juan… and his Sire.

Right now it was Bastien that needed her attention. He replaced the phone, then sat for some minutes with his back to her. Jordana couldn't see his expression, but if body language was any indication, she knew he was closing down. He leaned back, finally turning to look at her, and Jordana kept eye contact. "Very well." he managed in a normal tone, "I would like to use your phone for a second time, please. Just a short call at the hotel, to make sure that everything is all right." The blonde didn't need any form of vampire abilities to know how much this was costing him, her female intuition told her what he couldn't show on the surface. She gave him a nod, and when he turned away to grab the phone once more, Jordana sat up, leaning into his back, and rested her cheek on his bare flesh, in a comforting gesture.

ooo

Timothy answered the phone. He told Sebastien that the party had been going on for a while, but everything was quiet now. He sounded sleepy, and although his tone of voice was almost amiable, it was obvious that he was glad his master talked to him just as long as necessary. He even politely asked about Juan's whereabouts, but as this went unanswered, he wished them a good night. It was not up to him to worry about where Sebastien would spend the day, so he refrained from asking, and reassuring him that everything was just fine, hung up.

Only when he had finished this quite unproductive call did Sebastien realize he had taken for granted that Jordana was hugging him from behind. He had even leaned back into her embrace involuntarily. If he gave in to this sensation now, he would probably lose his composure, he was pretty sure of it, just because it felt as right as could be. At least it distracted him from the strange thoughts that were haunting his mind now, ideas he had always abhorred and at the same time admired when his father spoke them out loud; reflections on revolution and amorality, trying to lure him into their web of sin. He was not so easily tempted in general; well, not by those images, at least…With an inward sigh of regret, he drew away from Jordana, careful not to shrug her off, yet showing her that he needed some distance.

Jordana, well, that was something different; as soon as he lost contact with her skin, he felt a loneliness creep up within him he had not been familiar with up to then. The disconnection lasted only a second or two, and he almost hastily leaned back into her once more. Then he turned his head to face her while trying to keep in touch with her skin. He had the impression that as long as they touched, everything would be just fine, but if he lost contact, he would drown in his emotions. He made a mental note that he should not let this become an addiction, because it was a weakness he could never afford, because it could still be she was playing with him – and because she was Juan's girl.

Unable to admit his own feeling but desperate to say something nice, he said: "Juan gains a lot from being with you. How fortunate that he found you." He looked at her hair and was tempted to toy with it, but he had himself under enough control to keep this or any other display of weakness from happening. "It will not have escaped you that our servants have everything under control at the hotel. Yet I do not want to force myself upon you. I thank you for your hospitality… and everything else. But if I want to make it back home before dawn, I had better hurry." In contrast to his words, he remained seated close to her, seemingly unmoved, just the way he had been when they first met, but secretly hoping she would invite him to stay.

ooo

Jordana listened to the call, from where she sat leaning into Sebastien. A small thrill ran over her cool skin, that he was actually relaxing into her embrace. She heard the entire conversation, quite pleased that he wasn't going to have to do any troubleshooting tonight. But when the call ended, and Bastien had put the phone back, the blonde felt the subtle distance that her companion made between them. 'Here it comes,' she thought, knowing how easily Sebastien would find it to pull away now.

And then he did something that totally shocked her. He quickly leaned back into Jordana, turning his head so he could look at her. Maybe she was getting through to him. "Juan gains a lot from being with you. How fortunate that he found you." Or maybe not. Jordana let a hint of a frown show, at Bastien's words. She could have told him, that Juan would most likely have been happy with any number of girls or men for that matter, and she wasn't anything special. Or she could have told him that he, and not his father made her feel like she was special. But Jordana chose not to utter a word about her thoughts, listening as he continued talking, "It will not have escaped you that our servants have everything under control at the hotel. Yet I do not want to force myself upon you. I thank you for your hospitality… and everything else. But if I want to make it back home before dawn, I had better hurry."

Jordana blinked. Then she looked Sebastien straight in the eye, "No." she shook her head, her hair flowing around her head, then settling back into the charming disarray it had been. "I've played nice…now I want something…" It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that while Sebastien spoke about leaving, he hadn't made any move in that direction. "I want to sleep through the day with you. I want to wake tonight, with you by my side. There is no reason for you to run back to the hotel…no fires to put out, no problems to manage." She smiled then, "Do you really think you're forcing yourself on me? Because I remember it the other way round."

ooo

"Please rest assured," Sebastien replied instantly and quite distantly, "that it is not exactly easy to talk me round to anything." One could put it down to him being noble by birth and to certain other influences, but he just couldn't change the way he was. Perhaps it was also the usual vampiric paranoia, or maybe a special kind of distrust deriving from different experiences Sebastien had made over the decades, that for a moment, while his glance was still fixed on Jordana, his thoughts wandered to the orderly heap of clothes under which his throwing knives were hidden. And then he just discarded said thoughts, because this really was a bit ridiculous. He had spent the whole night with her; it would probably do no harm if he dared trust her for the day, too.

"Very well," he said, realizing that he tended to repeat himself this night. And bowing slightly, he added: "It is a favour I very much like to do you. In fact, the pleasure is mine." He managed to keep an annoying dignity, even when in the nude and considering what they had just been sharing. If someone ever invented invisible ties, Sebastien would be the first to wear them. Strange enough, he himself was well aware of that, too.

He cleared his throat. "Are there any precautions to be taken? Can I give you a hand?" This house, open as it was, did not offer enough shelter and protection for the day, and he wondered if Jordana - respectively her sire - had applied certain hidden gadgets in this house, similar to those his father had installed, or if she stuck with the old-fashioned cellar-and-coffin method.

ooo

"Please rest assured...that it is not exactly easy to talk me round to anything." Boy was that an understatement, and the blonde had to hold in a chuckle, as she saw the superior look in her companion's eyes. But she just sat there, looking at him, never giving him the excuse to discard her request. "Very well," he finally said. "It is a favour I very much like to do you. In fact, the pleasure is mine." Well, really it was both of theirs, but Jordana wouldn't say anything when she was winning.

Once the decision was made, Sebastien moved on to the next task at hand. "Are there any precautions to be taken? Can I give you a hand?" It was so like him to think this way, that Jordana finally let a small smile curve her lips. "I just have to close up, downstairs, and set the alarm." The heavy wooden shutters had steel rods running through them, and it was close to impossible to break in without tearing the house down. The alarm was more a noisy deterrent, to scare away anyone that tried. And the room they occupied at the moment, not only faced away from the rising sun, but also was protected by the large mature trees, and of course heavy shutters over the windows themselves.

Jordana, like her sire was a person that liked her creature comforts, and had it been suggested that she spend the day not only in a basement, but a coffin, she would have laughed the person in the face. "It only takes a moment, I'll be right back." At the look of Scepticism on Bastien's face, Jordana gave him another smile, "It's safe, I promise." She hadn't told him the glass itself had a special coating that kept the suns rays out of the building. With a stretch, the blonde climbed from the bed, and strolled casually across the room, totally unconcerned with clothes. "Make yourself comfortable," she purred with a glance over her shoulder.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

_For disclaimer see chapter 1  
_

* * *

**Nights Of Surprises **

Chapter 11

The moment she got up and the contact with her was lost, it was like putting a plug into a bathtub before the vortex even started to turn. Sebastien was so much used to doing this that the novelty of the situation as such made no difference; his system just acted automatically, mocking his previous worries that it might not work this time. Hence, when she looked over her shoulder she could see that he had already distanced himself from any kind of emotion he might ever have had concerning her or the things they shared.

He made to get up and help her, though, then grew aware of his own nudity, and despite the fact that he had no problem to move around naked in general, the thought of them both moving around in the nude was weird, verging on comical. As this was quite out of the question (no need to develop a sense of humour here), there was nothing left for it but to remain sitting on the bed and patiently wait for Jordana to return. He still wondered whether the whole complex would be safe enough, but even Jordana would not risk being surprised by unexpected sunrays and/or unhappy daytime burglars, and so he finally decided to simply trust her.

While he was listening to the heavy clunk of the shutters (it seemed that something else apart from wood added to their weight, which was reassuring), Sebastien had enough time to replay and reflect on the things that had happened. What on earth had made him do all that? He would never have dreamed of getting even close to falling in love, and of course this was not the case right now, but he might take the possibility into consideration that there existed a slight chance for him to feel that way one day…

He lay back, folding his arms behind his head. Jordana's smell on the pillow was most distracting, and he had to remind himself once again that any kind of emotion in connection with this, indeed any kind of emotion at all was a weakness he did neither want nor need. While he was finally freezing over again, which was just the right thing to do, of course, he yet managed to leave a little back door open for Jordana to get in touch with him, should the need arise. You never knew: maybe un-life was supposed to be a bit illogical at times, and for that Jordana was an ideal supply.

ooo

As she looked over her shoulder, Jordana almost made a tusking sound. She could see Sebastien had gathered himself together, and was folding away from her. However she didn't plan, now that she knew she could get to him, let that happen for long. He started to move, but then sat back, as she moved to the door. Jordana's last glimpse was of the man sitting possibly a bit stiffly on the edge of the bed.

It didn't take long for the blonde to go through the familiar routine, of shutting up the house for the day. And as she took the steps she'd taken a thousand times, her mind was on the waiting man, upstairs. Or more likely, how she could get under his skin, loosen that rigid control...again. With a last look around the dim interior, she was satisfied, and started up the stairs, already feeling that dawn was maybe an hour away.

Turning into the open doorway, Jordana stopped, letting her eyes wander over the reclining man. A smirk crept over her features, noting the way he lay with his arms folded under his head. He seemed lost in thought, but she knew that any moment he'd sense her return. It wasn't easy to sneak up on an older vampire...although it would have been fun. Amusement glittered in her eyes at the idea. "I see you've made yourself comfortable," she said, stalking to the end of the bed, where she had a better view. That's to say if Sebastien ever truly got comfortable.

The look in Jordana's eyes said trouble. And the smile on her lips agreed, as she began to climb up across Sebastien's legs, and then down beside him. "Tell me this isn't better then running back to the hotel for the day." The blonde lay against her companion, her side fully touching him skin to skin.

ooo

He had been listening to the sound of her bare feet downstairs and the busy closing of shutters, then he heard her pat pat upstairs again, and when she peeked into the room, her face bore an impish smile. From under his lashes, he watched her move through the room and towards the bed, but he was well prepared for the touch that had to follow conclusively, just because she was the way she was. Sebastien had long since made up his mind to close down for this night, though, and thus managed to not even stir when she nestled up against him.

"It is indeed more practicable," he answered her question. "I take it everything's safe for the day," he added formally. "That is most reassuring." He felt inclined to put his arm around her, but just because of good manners. While doing so, he realized that she still radiated something quite opposite to fatigue right now. Did she actually expect him to repeat the performance he had executed earlier that night? Well, if this was the case, he would have to disappoint her. "I sense a certain expectation on your side," he stated. His heart ventured one annoying beat, he could not tell why, then it stopped due to his growing endeavour to harden it again.

"Tomorrow will be an important night. We should concentrate on this fact and get some rest." He slowly grew aware that his thumb was stroking her skin while he was talking to her, betraying his words. Obviously, his body still had a mind of its own, in spite of the control he had over his brain. Well, there's no such ting as a challenge. With an effort, he stopped the treacherous thumb from moving and said to the room in general: "I like you very much, Jordana. In fact, I have never shared anything alike with anybody else. Yet I must insist that we refrain from whichever activities similar to the ones we've already been involved in tonight, no offence." He wanted to add that he just needed a break, but he could not get himself to articulate the words.

ooo

_"It is indeed more practicable...I take it everything's safe for the day,"_ She gave him a nod of her head as it rested on the pillow beside his. _"That is most reassuring."_ Jordana only smiled, letting her fingertips trace up his arm. _"I sense a certain expectation on your side... Tomorrow will be an important night. We should concentrate on this fact and get some rest."_

Jordana couldn't help the chuckle. Sebastien was so predictable sometimes, and was actually quite cute when he was trying this hard to be serious. However she felt his own thumb, stroking along her skin, belaying the tone of his words. He also seemed to notice, because he quickly stopped the movement. _"I like you very much, Jordana. In fact, I have never shared anything alike with anybody else. Yet I must insist that we refrain from whichever activities similar to the ones we've already been involved in tonight, no offence."_

Her hand came to a stop, flat on his chest. And for a moment she was very still, not a word, or a breath...then her body began to shake. Jordana couldn't stop the laugh as it shook her entire body. Then she poked Sebastien, hard. "Don't worry, I won't ravage your pretty body anymore tonight." Leaning in Jordana gave his shoulder a kiss, then rolled away, pulling the sheets over them. "Good morning, Bastien," she said, burrowing in and making herself comfortable while still lightly touching her companion. She closed her eyes but the serene smile stayed on her lips.

ooo

When she started shaking, Sebastien was at first slightly distressed, fearing she might take it as an offence after all and start the wailing thing, but then he realized she was laughing; which did not confuse him any less. He had no idea what exactly was so amusing about the things he said, but it was, if truth be said, not the first time his words had given rise to a reaction of that kind. He had never found out why, apart from deducing the hardly amusing fact that mortals and those closer to mortality had a very strange sense of humour.

At least she did not contradict him and listened to his words. It was just like her to underline her words with manners verging on rude, too, you had to grant her that. Nevertheless, it was strange that he felt so comfortable to be by her side, and what is more, that he would actually have liked to feel her lying in his arm. Just then she turned away from him, and it was pretty cold comfort that she kept a little contact. 'And you've only got yourself to blame,' he could hear his father's voice in his mind. He made one last attempt to tell her something, but as he did not really know what, he left it at that, remaining silent.

ooooooooooooooo

The apartment was a mess: blood stains everywhere, on the carpet, on the walls, even on the kitchen table. There, in a puddle of blood lay two sharp kitchen knives, obviously used, and something else. It turned out to be unexpectedly gory; something very much like withered scraps of human skin, or similar, and when Rafe prodded it with his fingers, the whole stuff immediately decomposed to goo. Realizing what he had just been touching, he shrank back with a yell, and suddenly his heartbeat started to race, making breathing more and more difficult, while a wave of nausea washed over him. He raced past Maria to the bathroom and just made it to the basin before saying good-bye to his breakfast.

Maria was standing all alone in the middle of the room, weeping softly. She had experienced similar scenes in the past, but that did not make it any easier, and it seemed that Red Marie had outdone herself this time. A trail of blood led to the bed case, hinting at what was hidden inside. Marie had not bothered to come down to meet them, of course, instead she had just turned the key in the elevator, stepping outside again with her supernatural speed before the car moved downwards, and she had retired even before the two servants arrived upstairs. It showed how little she cared even for her own protection.

She was lying there with him. Maria crossed herself. The red she-devil had mutilated her Juanito, and now she was resting with him, the state he must be in, as if it did not matter. Sick fear and sorrow making place for fury, Maria strode towards the bed and pushed the upper part away. When she saw Juan, a cry escaped her trembling lips. He was lying beside Marie Fontaigne's stock-still body, in contrast to her still quite conscious, if you could call it that, and moving slightly when her eyes fell on him. Great parts of his skin were gone, and more (Marie had not been exactly artful), his whole body covered and crusted with blood. He tried to speak, but failed, his head lolling from one side to the other while he made an effort to focus on Maria and to keep from falling into torpor.

Mumbling a prayer, she knelt by his side to stroke his hair, but then refrained from touching him, for she could not tell if her touch might hurt him, and whatever his reaction might be, she did not want to know. Still trembling strongly, she took a deep breath and called out Raphael's name. She had to call him again before he answered. "In God's name, come here," she shouted, her accent strong. "He need you now." Raphael hurried to follow her order, but when his eyes fell on his master, all he could do was suck in his breath sharply and bite his lower lip. Fortunately, the breakfast was already gone.

Rafe shook his head, taking a step backwards. "No, no, Maria, I can't do this. He is dying." Tears were running down his face, and his voice was rough from vomiting.

"Idiota," she reproached him, stressing every single syllable. "He do not die if you help him now. He must feed." With a dangerous flicker in her eyes, and showing an astounding deal of strength, she pulled Rafe down on his knees, holding on to his arm. Without further explanation, she forced him to lean over, then inflicted a generous wound on his arm with the help of Juan's exposed canines and pressed the cut to Juan's lips. It did not take long before the Vampire started to drink.

Juan drank until Maria nodded grimly and pushed the unresisting Rafe away, and with a last hateful glance at Marie closed the bed case again. Then she took Rafe in her arms and started rocking him like a baby, singing a Spanish lullaby. She extended one arm so that her fingers touched Juan's blood that was smeared on the ground there, scooped some of it up with her fingertips and applied it to Rafe's lips. He soon came to again and eagerly licked it up. Then realization hit home, and his eyes flew open. "I can feel him," he muttered, shaking violently with the flood of sensations transmitted over the newly established link. "I can feel his pain." He looked at Maria like he never met her before, his eyes shining with a feverish glow, then he crawled away on all fours and hid in a corner, pulled his knees to his chest and started rocking to and fro as if he was still listening to Maria's cradle-song.

Maria breathed a deep sigh. There was no use in comforting him right now; every servant had to find his own way to deal with the things he experienced. Shaking her head sadly, she got up and set to work. There was a lot to clean up today, and she did not wish either Sebastien or Jordana to see any of the details. Soon the silence of the day was only interrupted by the soft sloshing of a wet floor-cloth and every now and then a sob or a sigh emerging from Rafe's corner.

ooooooooooooooo

When Sebastien didn't say anything else, Jordana rolled back over curling up against him. She let herself drift, already feeling the approaching dawn. The last thing she felt was Bastien's body next to hers...and wasn't that exactly what she'd wanted when she asked him to stay.

The day passed without incident for the resting vampires. And the sun moved toward the horizon, as it does every evening. As it slipped beyond, and the sky darkened with a purple hue, the blonde began to stir. She knew instantly that the man beside her was Bastien, and was pleased he hadn't left the bed yet. Of course this was assuming, and she had, that he was already awake. Her limbs stretched out, and a happy smile lit hr face, as her eyes fluttered open to gaze on him.

ooo

Sebastien had been wide awake for some time already. He usually awoke half an hour before dawn, his mind immediately springing to action without any pointless delay, setting up an agenda for the following night, so that, when he got up, he already knew what to wear, which orders to give to whom, where to go and in most cases also which way to dine. When Jordana looked at him, he took it as a getting-up signal, his eyes flew open, he instantly sat up and said, rather due to courtesy than anything else: "Good evening, Miss Jordana."

He was well aware that he had dropped the title the night before, but he put this down to his unusual emotional state. And whereas he pardoned himself for that little lapse in manners, he would certainly not go on spending his un-life in such a state of weak discipline. One had to stick to some principles at last, and a formal address always showed respect; which was what he felt for her, was it not.

Without missing a beat (and without waiting for an answer, either), he stretched and got out of the bed in one fluent motion, went to his clothes, and after a moment's hesitation put on the knife holsters with Jordana watching, then started to dress. "We will have to go to the Grover Cleveland to check first, then to father's place, and then we will have another meeting with dear Howard," he said – and halted, his shirt still open. The atmosphere in the room wasn't really agreeable right now, and it was a tribute to his ability to learn quickly that he actually gathered why this was so.

He stepped towards Jordana, his eyes softening for the fraction of a second. "I… would appreciate it very much if you decided to spend yet another night by my side," he said, and this time his tone of voice was almost amiable for his standard. He knew this was only half of what he should say, or at least a huge understatement, but anything else could not be put into words; not by him. Searching her face for a sign of sympathy while buttoning up his shirt, he worked his jaw, but although he was trying hard, there was nothing he found he could add to make the situation more comfortable right now; it would probably only make it worse. Finally, he gave up and turned to go. When he had turned his back to her, however, he found his words again, and said over his shoulder: "Are you coming?"

ooo

It didn't really surprise Jordana when Sebastien jumped up from the bed, as soon as she turned to him. Of course a touch of disappointment ran through her, but it was so like him, that she wasn't insulted. And knew it wasn't her that he was running from. The blonde sat up in the middle of the bed, a sheet draped around her as she watched him dress. She might not be able to touch, but she could look.

_"We will have to go to the Grover Cleveland to check first, then to father's place, and then we will have another meeting with dear Howard."_ Bastien was making quick work of getting his clothes back in place, when he paused, then moved over to her. _"I… would appreciate it very much if you decided to spend yet another night by my side."_ Jordana had tried to keep her features schooled into a pleasant look, as she'd watched him. But the thought that he might be attempting to get away from her, had run through her mind. And now that he asked her to accompany him, her smile turned genuine. Bastien had turned away once again, but before he stepped too far, he turned back, _"Are you coming?"_

"I'd love to," she said, bounding from the bed. Jordana began pulling things out of drawers, but before she disappeared into the bathroom, she turned, "Pity, you're already dressed." The blonde stepped through the door, disappearing, with her voice floating back to her companion, "You're going to have to wait for me.."

ooo

Sebastien followed Jordana with his eyes, but when she disappeared in the bathroom, he decided that this was none of his concern. He could, though, not prevent to feel a fundamental kind of joy that she answered his question positively, and of course he would be only too pleased to wait for her. It would not take all night long for her to get dressed, would it now, and in his un-life he had watched so many different people getting dressed while waiting for them that he had privately determined a mean and sometimes liked to bet with himself if the one he was waiting for was above or below average.

About to climb down the stairs, he suddenly remembered Liberty and the other servants, and the thought of them made him frown. It was strange… He had been away from them for one night and one day only, yet it felt like he had been absent so much longer. With the memory of them, the image of Juan appeared in his mind, too, and he wondered how severely hurt his father really was. To meet Howard in the state Sebastien expected him to be was out of the question. The only consequence was that his son would have to stand in for him not only to check on the servants, but also for the actual transfer. Sebastien did not like the thought. Juan expected him to do this, of course, but if anything went wrong, he usually was also the first to blame.

Well, it did not help brooding about given facts, the only thing that did help was setting about. "I will be waiting in the car," he shouted towards the bathroom door and went downstairs. Before he opened one of the heavy shutters, though, he noticed the little red light in one corner of the room: an alarm; how touching. He could probably have switched it off, after all Juan had taught him, but that would have been bad manners. So, instead he shouted upstairs: "Uh, I won't be waiting in the car… I'll be downstairs." With an inward sigh, he sat down in one of the armchairs and stared at the opposite wall.

ooo

The blonde had grabbed clothing as she moved across the room, and now she pulled the door almost closed behind her. Had Bastien wanted to follow he most certainly would have been welcome, hence the reason for the door left ajar. Jordana, however, had no illusions that he'd do any such thing. And that left her with one option, get ready to go.

She might not have liked the abrupt start to their night, but that didn't mean that Sebastien was calling all the shots. In fact, as a bit of revenge, she planned on letting him cool his heels for a while. Stepping into the shower, Jordana heard her companion call, _"I will be waiting in the car,"_ and a smirk curved her lips. Jordana began counting mentally, and it didn't take long. _"Uh, I won't be waiting in the car… I'll be downstairs."_ Had there been a hint of annoyance in his voice? Or maybe something else.

Jordana chuckled, turning the spray on full force. She enjoyed the heated water, as it slid over her skin, warming where it touched. And when she finished, she actually picked up the pace some. She wanted to show Bastien he didn't call all the shots, but on the other hand didn't like to be kept waiting either. Besides, thoughts of Juan had finally slipped in under her steel control that had forbidden the girl from thinking about him. After it still stung that he'd pushed her aside for this bitch Marie. As Jordana looked into the mirror, her eyes sparkled dangerously. Just thinking about the situation was making her anger rise.

"No," she said out loud to the reflection, "It's not fair to Bastien, to go down mad." The blonde forced herself to take a breath, and think about last night instead, finally bringing a smile to her face. She quickly hurried, finishing her makeup, brushing out her hair, and casually moving down the stairs. Only to see Sebastien sitting stiffly staring at the wall. "I'm ready," she said, holding out her arms to prove what she said was true. She wore a pair of form fitting black leather pants, embossed with a snakeskin print. Paired with that was a dark red silk sleeveless tank. Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders, like a halo, shining in the dim light.

ooo

When he heard the shower, Sebastien figured his waiting time would be just above average, which actually made him lose his bet against himself, because he thought Jordana would be one of the faster sort. Well, maybe she made up for this by hurrying afterwards. With street kids, you never knew. He reached for the jacket he had left on the couch the morning before, and is eye fell on the cell phone. Switching it on, he instantly prepared for the bad news surely to come just to make him feel even more repentant for slackening the reins the night before. There was only one message for him, on voice mail. The phone showed his father's number. Well, this meant he was still able to talk - which was good. When Sebastien listened to the message, though, he had to revise his initial conclusion. Juan's voice was very weak – which was bad. And all he said was, "Call me back."

Sebastien deleted the message and sat back, holding the phone in both hands. Those three simple words did indeed not mean good news. It meant that Marie was still in town, and what is more, that she most probably was still with Juan. This, however, would imply that they might meet again; a nasty circumstance Sebastien had dearly hoped to avoid. He had taken into account the probability that his father would be too weak or at least too scarred to meet Howard, and of course he was prepared for that. But 'call me back' sounded like more trouble…

He narrowed his eyes and harked. The sound of the shower had subsided long since and his keen senses perceived a rustling from her bedroom, indicating that she was already dressing or something similar. A minute later he heard her footsteps on the staircase and looked up. She looked very pretty, he had to admit that, and although he would never pride himself on the simple fact that she had spent the day with him, of all Vampire, he could at least acknowledge that she was smiling at and actually talking to him. As an answer, he half rose from the armchair and bowed, thus showing his respect. Then he sat down again, as stiffly as before, still holding the phone. "Father called," he stated with splendid restraint. "I should call him back before we leave." He cleared his throat. "You might want to talk to him, too."

ooo

In typical Sebastien fashion, he bowed as Jordana hit the bottom step. She might have teased, but for the fact that he seemed to hold himself stiffly. Well more than usual. And then he spoke, _"Father called...I should call him back before we leave." He cleared his throat as if there was more to come, which in fact was the case, "You might want to talk to him, too."_

The blonde's lips set in a hard pout, and her eyes narrowed for a moment, clearly showing a hint of anger. But then she pulled herself back together, and sighed. "Yes, you should call him before we go." She paused, watching Bastien holding the phone in a tight grip, before continuing. "If the circumstances were different, I'd very much want to speak to him...but the only thing I want to hear right now is, that that bitch is gone."For all her bravado, Jordana knew if offered, she'd talk to Juan. Even if she was mad at him right now.

"How about you, Bastien? Have I made your night harder, by keeping you away from the hotel?" She suspected that the world hadn't fallen apart. That his people had managed just fine...now if only she could get this idea across to the stubborn man, that he could relax occasionally. Take a night off, enjoy what she had to offer him. Because he might think this was a one time only thing, but Jordana had other ideas. She gave Bastien a smile, waiting for him to make the call, as she slid into the chair opposite the one he was using.

ooo

First of all, Sebastien wondered why he had said this thing about Jordana wanting to talk to his father, too. It was not as if Juan was dying or even severely wounded, was it now. Or, he mused, maybe he did think that this time Marie had been exceptionally "profound." He would find out eventually, of course, and there was no use in brooding over reality, anyway. Maybe the happenings of the previous night had made him go somewhat soft. In that regard, Jordana was right. There would be no use in telling her, though, and he might have to face other, less pleasant things this night; things like Marie.

"I did not receive any calls from the hotel, thus I presume that everything is suave," he said in his matter-of-fact tone of voice and without another glance at Jordana pressed Juan's shortcut number. Maria, Juan's loyal servant, answered the phone; an unusual occasion that made Sebastien narrow his eyes once again. When he asked for his father, she replied with her usual kind politeness, but her voice was nonetheless very tense. And then he heard Marie's voice in the background, saying something nasty. He closed his eyes and tried to stay composed. The red devil was still there and all his hopes for a quiet night gone.

"Yes," Juan's voice finally rang out. "Bastien, how good of you to get back to me." He sounded tired and weak, yet something in his voice was at the same time vibrant, almost electrified, as if he was on drugs, and if Sebastien was not very much mistaken, this was worse than anything else. All he could do was force himself to business mode and pull it through. Before he could answer, though, Juan went on talking to him. "I hope you had a pleasant night with my Jordana. Is she with you right now? Yes, but of course she is. Please tell her… no, wait, I'll talk to her. Listen, Bastien, I want you to come to my apartment tout de suite, but make a little discourse via the hotel and take Giorgio with you, do you hear me. I need him. Then, we will talk."

Sebastien confirmed this with a short reply and handed the phone to Jordana. While watching her take it, he had a strange sensation, yet another emotion unknown to him before. It felt a bit like when she had looked at him at the of the previous night, before they went upstairs, only stronger, and a bit like someone was pouring liquid metal down his spine. Fascinating, it really felt very much so. He wondered if it showed in his eyes and to be on the safe side looked down at his hands when he leaned back in his armchair.

ooo

Jordana's gaze wandered over her companion as he answered her statement about the hotel. A sly smile slid over her face, as soon as he turned away punching in a number and putting the cell phone to his ear. She wouldn't say 'I told you so', however there was no one to tell her she couldn't think it. She continued to watch while someone talked on the other end, wondering what had been said, as Bastien closed his eyes. From her viewpoint it seemed to take some effort for Sebastien to remain unmoved.

The blonde could only hear Sebastien's side of the conversation, which for several minutes consisted of him listening, with little in the way of talk on his side. Well, really if she'd tried hard Jordana knew she could have picked up some of what was being said, but that would be dishonest to Bastien. And after what they'd shared, she didn't want to cross those boundaries.

Of course Jordana couldn't keep her mind off the man at the other end of the phone. Juan. She wondered what he'd been doing with that witch, last night. And hoped, in some bitchy part of her mind, that it hadn't been as exciting as he'd anticipated. There was a moment's hesitation, as Bastien handed her the phone, without so much as a word. But the girl took it, putting it to her ear. "Hello?.. Juan?..." All hope that he'd been miserable without her was dashed at the tone of his voice, with the first word he spoke.

ooo

Juan's voice did not actually sound cheerful, or even content, yet it bore a strange quality suggesting that he was – at least temporarily – oddly changed; it also showed weakness and had a certain hoarse quality. "Jordana," he said, pronouncing her name the Spanish way once more, and when he recognized her, he sounded affectionate, and almost remorseful. "By God, it's you, corazoncito. I am so glad you stayed with my little Bastien, kept an eye on him." He gave a throaty chuckle. "Or maybe two eyes and more…"

There was a short pause while an extremely sweet and low, yet at the same time artificial and utterly bored sounding voice said something French in the background; this was Marie's voice. Juan replied something, equally in French, and in contrast to the way he talked to Jordana, it sounded neither affectionate nor courteous, but rather the way a brother talked to his sister after a quarrel. Then he continued talking to Jordana. "I cannot repeat often enough how sorry I am for this unsuitable interruption of our blossoming friendship, honey. But as I already promised, I will make up for that any way you like, as soon as I am able to do so.

"Just one thing. I take it you will come here with Bastien, which would really be desirable. I honestly long to see you… How shall I put it? We will not be entre nous, my dear, if you grasp the profound meaning of my words. The… lady… decided to stay another night. You will not ever be friends, as far as my role as a fortuneteller goes, but you could at least try to ignore her, yes? And I will see to it that no harm will be done. Just to know you're safe, honey." Here a melodious laughter rang out from the off, and it sounded as if he was actually holding his breath. Then he added: "Ignore her. Please."

ooo

Jordana must have made the right responses, because before long Juan had told her he'd see her soon, and hung up. The blonde looked at the phone in her hand like it had sprouted two heads, standing still for several seconds, before snapping back to life. "He said one night," she growled, tossing the offending phone back to Bastien. "But she's still here...I heard her in the background, and it didn't sound as if she was remorseful about toss our lives around."

The blonde stood up stiffly, then began pacing across the room. She was trying to get a hold of her temper before it could flare to monstrous heights. "He wants me to...ignore her." Jordana's teeth were gritted together as she spoke, and her eyes glittered dangerously as she turned to pin a look on her companion. "Bastien...?" the name came out with deceptive softness, "Do you think I can ignore that bitch?"

Jordana wasn't sure if Sebastien would answer her or, even if she were looking for an answer. She wanted to vent, rail, tear the house apart, but knew if she took one step she wouldn't be able to control the beast. It hadn't been fed yet tonight, and now was close to the surface.

ooo

It had been easy for Sebastien to guess that the conversation between Jordana and his father would not turn out nicely, at least not for one party of the two. He watched her talk to Juan, that is, react to the things he said with some small commonplace utterances in-between that hardly showed what was going on inside of her, while her expression spoke volumes. Had she been able to hide her emotions quite well up to then, she now showed that she could not change the way she was made, and finally had to let out some of her temper.

Sebastien caught the phone and slipped it back into his jacket. In a way, he was relieved that, although Jordana's composure was remarkable, his theories about hot-blooded girls were not totally proved wrong. And although he had decided long since to stay loyal to her as long as she did not turn against him or his father, it was a proven fact that the more he found out about someone, no matter who that someone was, the more he could prepare himself for the eventualities to come; even events that might be highly unlikely, or that he did not even want to think about. Fixing his eyes upon her, he listened to the things she said and confirmed them with a nod.

Remorseful… well, that was one of the many words Marie had never learned, and Sebastien doubted if she had ever been able to grasp the meaning of it, either. "I daresay," he put his thoughts into words when Jordana made a break. "Marie has a tendency to mix up the syllables as soon as a word length amounts to more than two or three segments. Consequently, 'remorseful' would most certainly stretch her too far." He was not at all aware of the irony.

He remembered the first time he set eyes on her. He was still a boy and living at Javier's, which was fortunate, because otherwise he might not have survived the night, back then. She said she liked children, and it was only decades later that he came to learn she meant this quite literally. When he saw her, back then, she was beautiful and smiling sweetly and constantly and singing with a fairylike voice, and he could not understand why Javier would not allow her in his house. After their first direct contact, decades later, though, he instantly knew why. It had taken him weeks to recover from standing in her way.

Breaking free from the flashback, he worked his jaw around something sensible to say to Jordana. Her tone of voice when she called him by his name was deceptive, but the emotions she radiated were strong enough to be read even without any special skills. In other words: he could easily sense that she was close to splitting a seam right now, and he felt obliged to do something about it, not only because he owed her and Juan, but also because he did not like to see her lose face.

Still looking at her with a solemn stare, although it took him some pains to do so just because her glance was so utterly piercing right now, he made a few steps towards her, coming to stand face to face with the blonde. He felt that it would not do any good if he touched her. Maybe this was a trait they shared, and maybe she needed just the same he himself needed in times like this: something logical to hold on, to get back onto the rational level. "Of course you cannot ignore her," he said. "I tried several times, believe me, it is quite impossible. What we can do is, to concentrate on the work that has to he done, and to let us not be distracted by non-essentialities like her. Her task is performed, and Juan and I will see to it that she leaves town by the end of the night.

"It would be…" he looked at her even more intensely "… a waste of time and energy if you got involved in fighting her, for her only aim is to destroy, and that she did and that she will do wherever she finds an opportunity, and I do not want you to be destroyed." He stopped, opening his mouth in surprise. He had no idea where the last sentence had come from, and he could not remember having had the intention to say anything close to it. And yet, while speaking it out loud, he realized that this was what he had had in mind all the time.

ooo

Jordana's hands had been clenched into fists at her sides as she spoke to Bastien. But now as he began talking, in that calm demeanour he had, she grasped her bare arms, her nails digging into the smooth flesh. The blonde really didn't want to hear about how this strange woman had a past with either man. But Bastien was trying to calm her, and so she tried to concentrate on his words. "Of course you cannot ignore her...I tried several times, believe me, it is quite impossible. What we can do is, to concentrate on the work that has to he done, and to let us not be distracted by non-essentialities like her. Her task is performed, and Juan and I will see to it that she leaves town by the end of the night."

Her eyes begged for him to promise. Promise Marie would leave. Promise this would all end tonight. But Jordana knew better then to say the words aloud. She didn't know when Sebastien had stood up, or when he'd stepped up in front of her. But suddenly there he was, "It would be… a waste of time and energy if you got involved in fighting her, for her only aim is to destroy, and that she did and that she will do wherever she finds an opportunity, and I do not want you to be destroyed." She saw the shock on his face, moments before his mouth dropped open. And that in itself was enough to bring her back to her senses. Her fingers relaxed, leaving five little crescents on each arm that welled with blood as soon as she released them, perfuming the air around the pair.

"Thank you, Bastien." Reaching out a hand Jordana touched his arm, "I-I think I need to feed before we get to Juan's...otherwise I'm not sure I'll be able to keep from ripping that woman's hair out." She gave him an almost normal smile, letting him know her temper was cooling.

ooo

The hand that gently touched his sleeve smelled of her blood. The subtle smell was enough to get Sebastien back on line, but not enough to react to her touch. He had been watching her reactions, sensed her temper going from red hot towards comparatively normal again - fortunately, and perhaps due to that little speech of his. When she made the remark about ripping Marie's hair out, though, he replied: "From my point of view, you would not stop at the hair." He looked at her hands. "Yes, I am quite convinced that you would be content with no less than her heart. If you had a chance against her, that is, if I dare say so." Again, he was not aware of any humorous proposition his words might bear, because to his mind this was simply a matter of fact, and he wanted to share his knowledge.

Relieved that this was settled, then, he looked at the door. "You can feed on Jacqueline, and I will have some of Liberty's. The sooner we get to my father, the better, and he needs all of Giorgio." His glance flickered from the already healing little wounds on her arms to her eyes and back. The smell was nevertheless tempting, enticing, but he knew that drinking such a young vampire's blood would be one of his less intelligent ideas, especially before meeting Marie, and he would not want to risk a bond at any rate. In secret, he had to admit that he could not definitely tell if any kind of exchange had taken place by the end of the other night…

He realized that he was staring at her arm. Looking up slowly, he narrowed his eyes, then turned away. "I would be obliged if you turned off the alarm now, so that we can open the shutters," he said, almost as steadily as usual. "I need to get to… the car." He could have told her the truth, that he first of all needed to get some fresh air that would wash away the blood odour, and then would like to hurry to the hotel to get a good mouthful, but the soothing truth was: she probably knew, anyway. This was so special about Jordana: He did not need to explain himself to her (something he rarely did, in any case), and although they were so different from each other, she always seemed to understand his motives.

ooo

She knew as soon as she lay her hand on Sebastien's arm that he wasn't comfortable. And Jordana bit back a sigh as she listened to his take on her comment. A quirk of her lips was the only reaction to indicate he was right...yeah the woman's heart squeezed in her hand would be satisfying, but even with her reckless spirit, the blonde knew she was no match for the older vampire.

"You can feed on Jacqueline, and I will have some of Liberty's. The sooner we get to my father, the better, and he needs all of Giorgio."

Bastien's words brought back the situation with a rush of almost guilt, because Jordana had done her best not to think about him since he sent her away. However Jordana hadn't moved away or dropped her hand from her companion's arm, when she noticed he was staring at the self inflicted wounds. As soon as she noticed, Bastien also seemed to notice, and he pulled his eyes away looking at her for a moment.

Her temper had been cooling, but as their eyes met other things began to heat up in the girl. 'God, I'd like taste of you,' she thought, but allowed him to pull free, without a word. Jordana knew she should be happy with what he'd given, but it just wasn't enough. "I would be obliged if you turned off the alarm now, so that we can open the shutters, I need to get to… the car."

"Sure...you're right. We need to get going." Jordana glided across the floor, and did as he'd asked, watching as he opened the door and stepped outside. 'Run away for now Bastien...but you can't run far enough to get away from yourself,' she thought, stepping out behind him and shutting the heavy door. "Let's go," was all she said out loud.

_ To be continued... _


	12. Chapter 12

_For disclaimer see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 12

During their drive to the hotel Sebastien remained quiet. The already well-known proximity of Jordana did not confuse him any more, it was in truth quite reassuring, the feelings she radiated equally recognizable to him and to some degree also categorizeable, and the familiarity of the whole situation – to be sitting here in his car, with her by his side – miraculously helped him regain his usual composure more than anything else right now. This was what he needed: something to rely on; even if it was something wild.

He focused on the agenda he had started to set up in his mind while lying in her bed, waiting for her to wake up (a thought that did in fact not distract him now), corrected some essential parts and planned on the phone calls that had to be made. Correction: he should not make those phone calls, but ask his father to make them; especially Howard would probably not take much more. At the thought of Juan, Sebastien's hands automatically gripped the steering wheel harder. His father and sire could have achieved so much power, had he been a bit more disciplined. But Juan had always abhorred power (and discipline anyway), apart from the supremacy naturally given to him, which he regarded as matter of course…No, he had to hold back the emotions connected with this, as well as with his conversation with Javier, no use to let them get in his way now. This matter was settled, too; it had to be.

Another neat rebooting of his mind while parking the car, and Sebastien got out of it; in a literal sense. Only then, he looked at Jordana. She had been sitting by his side in silence. He had enjoyed this from the very beginning: Like so many other things about her that were different, she was not one of this vast majority of girls who had the annoying tendency to chat away the silence, instead of summoning up the strength to ride it out. He did not feel like breaking the silence yet, either, so they walked to the hotel without a word, side by side, just like they had done before.

When Timothy hurried out to greet them (in fact, he seemed to be glad to see Jordana by Sebastien's side), it was almost touching (or at least would have been for a bystander, but of course Sebastien took no notice of it), the way he fell over himself to be of service. "We wanted to get things ready for the exchange, Mr Lavalle," he said enthusiastically and a bit out of breath. "But we didn't expect you so early, so…"

"No need for explanations," Sebastien interrupted him harshly without looking, and brushed past him and upstairs. Timothy, stopped in his tracks, looked at Jordana, a pleading look in his eyes. "What did I do wrong?" he managed to say. He was sweating again, and his hands were shaking. "Look, Miss, if I can be of help… I mean, anything…I just don't know what's goin' on…" He felt miserable, but he could not exactly tell why. It was like being dried out… Maybe it was the way his - yes, master would be the right expression – his master treated him. Or maybe there was something else nobody had cared to tell him. But this kind and beautiful lady would surely enlighten him. Grinning slightly madly, he waited for her reply.

ooo

Jordana was lost in her own thoughts on the drive to the hotel. She knew she wasn't being the best of company, but then Sebastien didn't seem to mind the quiet lapses, anymore then she did. Oh, and she had plenty to think about… just the fact that this Marie wasn't as pliable as Juan had made her sound... one night and she'll be gone, bullshit! Or the fact that Bastien was pulling himself tight inside himself again. She managed a sidelong glance without her companion noticing... there was passion in there, buried somewhere deep... she knew it, but how to get Sebastien to admit it... that was the real problem.

When they pulled into the parking lot, the blonde wasn't any closer to solving these problems than before, but she pushed them back. Watching with a shake of her head, as Bastien got out before even seeming to notice she still sat in the passenger seat, Jordana finally opened her won door and slid from the seat, moving to walk by his side.

It was Timothy that broke the silence that flowed around them, almost falling over himself trying to please Bastien. _"We wanted to get things ready for the exchange, Mr Lavalle... But we didn't expect you so early, so..."_ He'd even giving Jordana a welcoming expression, before turning away to his master. For all that Sebastien noticed. "_No need for explanations_," he said brusquely, walking away from the young man, and out of sight up the stairs.

Jordana knew the look. Disappointment. Worry. "_What did I do wrong?"_ She could see how shaken he was, even to the point of shaking, but he continued, "_Look, Miss, if I can be of help… I mean, anything…I just don't know what's goin' on…_" Glancing around to make sure the front desk was taken care of, Jordana pulled Timothy to the back. She kept her hand on his bare arm, soothing down the anxiety. "You didn't do anything wrong, Timothy. In fact I think Sebastien will thank you for your... efficiency, once he's back to himself. He just has a lot on his mind right now."

She stroked the bare skin below his sleeve, calming the young servant, as a thought occurred to her. Had anyone explained what was happening to him? Jordana couldn't believe after seeing how well the other servants were treated by both Juan, and Sebastien that either would be cruel enough not to.

ooo

When Sebastien came down the stairs about five minutes later, it was rather obvious that Giorgio, walking by his side, was already high on drugs. The two of them were followed by Liberty and Jacqueline; the former looking a bit pale due to her recent blood loss, but wearing the usual serene expression, and the latter with an air combining hope and sorrow. This time, even more than before, while they were walking in unison it was unmistakable that all three servants were not only outstandingly beautiful, but that they were also bearing themselves with the same pride inherent in their masters. They kept perfect pace with Sebastien, in more than one sense.

As soon as Liberty set eyes on Jordana, she smiled even broader, and genuinely so, but her smile soon turned into an expression of playful regret, accompanied by a shrug, because one glance from Jacqueline was sufficient to remind her that she had been drained enough this night. The slightly smaller brunette stepped between them and gracefully exposed her neck, coquettishly and with an inviting smile looking up from under her lashes.

Only then, Sebastien sensed the slight change of atmosphere around Jordana and Timothy, and he enquiringly looked from the boy to the others. Liberty immediately understood, started to giggle and theatrically covered her mouth with her hand. "We forgot to tell him," she stated, as if this was an excellent joke. Sebastien ignored her reaction, though, but commanded Liberty with a glance to tend to the distressed boy. The tall blonde hurried to obey and exchanged some whispered words with Timothy, then turned to talk to her master. "He needs you, Bastien," she breathed and giggled again.

Sebastien looked up. It almost seemed as if he was annoyed by the whole situation, and his glance at Jordana bore something of an apology, but then he said, "You will tell him all about it after we've left." After an awkward pause, he walked behind the reception desk. There, he took a neglected beaker from last night, smelled at the leftover liquor, raised his eyebrows in disgust and added some of his own blood to the stuff after inflicting a tiny wound on his thumb with the help of a canine. He gestured at the glass. "This will help." Then he looked at the others and narrowed his eyes, but instead of giving them a homily, he just stared. Now, Liberty stopped giggling and hastened to help her fellow servant.

"We have no more time to lose," Sebastien said, turning towards Jordana again. "I must apologize for this, yet I beg you to hurry. Please, do help yourself. The sooner we get Raphael out of there, the better." What he did not say was, 'thank you, Jordana, for being what you are: perceptive, emotional, caring.' He could never bring himself to say anything of the kind, but he hoped she would know anyway.

ooo

The blonde was still with the upset Timothy when Sebastien came back downstairs. He was surrounded by three of his people, and Jordana knew she wasn't going to have a chance to speak to him alone. And while she was a bit annoyed, she saw Liberty give her genuinely happy smile, something the blonde couldn't ignore. And so she returned it, knowing what the look the servant gave her said, by her paleness.

The smaller dark haired woman stepped forward, inviting Jordana with flesh of her smooth neck, and a flirty smile. The blonde inspected her eyes, which were sparkling brightly, but showed no sign of drugs, unlike the man they'd brought down to go to Juan's. Jordana preferred her blood clean, even after the night with Juan and Rafe.

A giggle from Liberty had Jordana looking from Jacqueline to the blonde servant. "_We forgot to tell him!_" Jordana didn't see the humour in the fact that Timothy was so distressed, and watched as Bastien said, "_You will tell him all about it after we've left_," handing Liberty a glass to give the young man.

In his cool manner, Sebastien dismissed the problem, turning to Jordana, "_We have no more time to lose, I must apologize for this, yet I beg you to hurry. Please, do help yourself. The sooner we get Raphael out of there, the better._" It was Jordana's turn to be angry with herself. How could she have forgotten about Rafe. He was too new, much like Timothy here, to be left with whatever was happening at Juan's. Of course his innocence would disappear, but did it have to be harshly ripped away from him?

With a gesture the dark, petite girl moved forward, stopping in front of the blonde vampire. It was obvious by the look in her eyes that she was anticipating this, her breath quickening as Jordana pulled her close and slid fangs into her smooth skin, piercing the vein. The girl actually pulled the blonde closer as she fed, and when Jordana released her, gave a disappointed little sigh. "Thank you, Jacqueline." Turning to Bastien, Jordana nodded, "Let's go see what that bitch has done to our Juan." Not that she planned on forgiving him any time soon.

ooo

Sebastien knew perfectly well that this night would stay in his memory as one of his less favourite reminiscences, thus he wanted to get over with it as soon as possible. All this unrestrained emotion, all this commotion about feeling and not feeling, and about remorse for things that had simply happened and could not be undone, all this was highly annoying and distracting and above all bad for business. He watched Jordana drink from Jacqueline, his hands folded behind his back, his expression impassive. Meanwhile, Liberty had taken Timothy to the back room and was talking to him. Those trivialities were servant matter, and if truth be told, it was much more interesting to watch Jordana ingest.

When his blonde companion had finished her early night meal, he was equally glad to see that she did so without much decorum. Again, it was her nonchalant way to deal with things that added to his own stability. With a last warning glance at the servants, he turned go leave, secretly enjoying the feel of Jordana walking by his side with ease and grace, as if they were inseparable and had been walking together like this for decades. For a moment, he allowed himself to actually indulge in this fancy, but then reality caught up with him once more. Whatever might happen during the hours to come, he would see to it at any cost that Jordana stayed unharmed.

Only then he realized that they were not on their own, in point of fact, but that Giorgio had been following them on their way to the car, as was his duty, and silently taken place at the rear seat. This somehow annoyed him even more; he could not have told why. He closed the door behind Jordana with a bit more force than necessary, but it only took him the few steps around the car boot to control this impromptu upheaval and he sat down as calm as ever. But of course, Juan needed the Blood of another mortal in order to obtain enough energy for healing. One had to make concessions.

He had the fleeting impression that this would be the right night to kill Marie Fontaigne. Certainly, the idea, although most intriguing, was not only utterly ridiculous, but also lacked any sense of realism. For one thing, Juan needed her; Sebastien had never understood why, yet he had to tolerate the fact that this was so, especially after his father had at great length tried to explain the matter to him, every now and again. Secondly, she was a menace, true, but she did not break the law; not that he could prove it, that is. She was what Javier would have called a 'free spirit', and a highly annoying one, but she was old enough to know her limits, whereas he would get into deep trouble if he dared cause her final death, because – and this was even more bothersome – she did have a lot of powerful friends. Finally discarding the thought, he concentrated on the driving.

"We will not stay for long," he said while focusing on the traffic around him. "We should get Raphael back to the hotel, so that the others can care for him, and then we need to prepare the transfer." At this, Giorgio giggled, but he shut up again when he saw the look in Sebastien's eyes in the rear mirror. The Vampire smoothly manoeuvred the Jag through the light night traffic and finally drove into the parking, coming to a halt next to his father's car. He noted that the cab was still there and sent a silent prayer up to heaven (or somewhere close) that Marie would manage to get it moving without crashing into the TransAm.

This time, he went around the car once more in order to open the door for Jordana. The whole situation was tense, so he felt the necessity to keep good manners, if only to maintain a kind of group morale. Short time after he had pressed the bell push, the cabin moved downwards, and the door opened to a highly distressed looking Maria. She nonetheless curtsied in front of the two Vampire, but this time did not manage to smile. "Good evening," she said, and her voice was no more than a whisper. "Please, come quick." Her eyes flickered between the three of them and settled on Giorgio, then following an impulse, she hugged him and whispered something in his ear. He merely nodded as an answer, and his stern expression showed that apart from his daze, he was well aware of the things to come. Sebastien prompted the two of them into the elevator, and nodding towards Jordana, waited for her to follow.

ooo

Juan was sitting on the edge of his bed. He had put on his black leather catsuit; the one that was laced up all the way. Thus, only his bare arms showed that his skin was on its way to healing but still deeply scarred and far from looking smooth. The only scars that were about to fade were the ones in his face, but that made sense, because she had not used the knives there - a tribute to his vanity – and the wounds her fingernails had left were not that deep; comparably. He was wearing his hair loose so that it would cover the scars on his neck, but of course, once he moved, there would be need for explanation.

When Maria went to get the elevator down in order to get the guests upstairs, she had left Rafe in his corner, warning Juan that the boy should under no circumstances be touched or addressed by either of them. The Red She-devil had dearly wanted to play with him, but Juan reminded her that they had a deal which did not include any of his servants, and because this had always been so and was a concept easy enough to understand even for a dimwit like Marie Fontaigne, she had conceded. He wondered again why she was still here, but his inquiry had not triggered any answer. Hence, she was dallying by the kitchen table, playing with one of the knives (everything had been thoroughly cleaned by Maria), singing an old French lullaby when the elevator doors slid open.

ooo

Jordana had gotten the impression that Sebastien enjoyed watching her and the dark haired servant. And any other night she might have teased him about it, just to see the look of denial he'd try to get away with. But not tonight, no, tonight wasn't for games, and as soon as she'd thanked the girl , she moved up beside her companion.

They walked through the lobby in unison, gracefully leaving the lit room behind, and out to the car. She knew Giorgio trailed behind but kept to himself, and slid into the back seat as soon as he could, leaving her to wait for Bastien to open her door. The blonde brushed against him, but failed to make any comment, her attention already on their destination, and what they were going to find.

"_We will not stay for long... We should get Raphael back to the hotel, so that the others can care for him, and then we need to prepare the transfer_." The dark haired vampire kept his attention on the road, as he said this, and it was only the servant in the back giggling that made any response. Once again, Jordana didn't see the humour in the situation, but put it up to Giorgio being intoxicated.

Sebastien parked next to Juan's car, and the three moved to the elevator, waiting as the car descended. No one said anything, but all eyes remained on the door that once slid open revealed a distressed Maria. "_Good evening_," she said, motioning them forward, "_Please, come quick._" If Jordana's tension level hadn't already been high, she would have questioned the woman, but now she only waited in dread of what was to come.

The door slid open, and the first thing that hit the young vampire was the scent of blood. Oh there wasn't any visible sign of it, anywhere she looked but it was there, underlying every thing else. The next thing as she stepped off, beside Bastien was Juan sitting still on the edge of his bed. Jordana might have impulsively run to him, but for Sebastien's hand on her arm. "Juan? Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes not making any sense of the marks on his arms. It was like a puzzle, that the harder she looked the less in focus it became...almost as if her mind were sheltering her from the reality. But that wasn't going to last for long. "Bastien?" she breathed softly, giving him a puzzled frown.

ooo

Well aware that Marie was still somewhere in the apartment, Sebastien had held onto Jordana's arm to prevent her from doing anything that might be disadvantageous for her; e.g. trying to attack and being harmed before she could even grow aware who her opponent was. As an answer to her questioning glance, he only made a shooing sound, the one you usually use to quieten children, and searched the area for Marie. He could sense her to his right, but he did not see her move – yet.

Juan looked up when they entered, and smiled. It was a genuine smile, yet it bore at the same time wonder, scepticism and worry. But before he chanced to say anything or even utter a warning, Marie had discovered the new arrivals, and putting down her playing knife twisted her pretty neck crow-like towards them. Upon recognizing Bastien, her face lit up in anticipation, but the expression instantly morphed into one of utter disgust when her eyes fell on Jordana. "What does the fledgling do here?" she asked in her incessant singsong voice. "Let Auntie say hello to the kitty."

The following things happened simultaneously: Juan rose, trying to walk with his usual grace, but not entirely able to hide that his legs were in no better condition than his arms. Giorgio and Maria hurried towards their master in order to support him while he already strode towards Marie, and at the same time Sebastien stepped in front of Jordana, keeping her half hidden behind his back. Fontaigne just smiled, which looked still very beautiful apart from the thin line all around her pretty face; you could not see it from a distance, but it showed now that they were all close together and exhibit F sufficiently agitated.

"Ah, Jean-Charles, bad boy," she breathed and pouted artfully while slowly moving towards Sebastien and Jordana. "Let Marie play with the kitten, you should sit down, you are so weak still." She rolled her eyes as if the long sentence had exhausted her, but then, out of a sudden, her hand lashed out like a whip. It might have been due to decades of experience and practise, or by pure coincidence, or maybe a bit of both, that Juan and his son both moved in complete unison, so that Marie's clawed hand was stopped by two strong hands from the two different men.

This alone might not have stopped her under different, i.e. normal circumstances, but right now she was taken by surprise and just succumbed, slowly withdrawing into one corner, backing away and snarling like a wounded wild cat. Again, Sebastien put his arm on Jordana's to prevent her from following Marie, and he whispered, "Please. Do stay by my side." As soon as the present danger was averted, Juan staggered and was immediately supported by Giorgio. He looked up at the servant, his glance flickering to Jordana and back while he smiled apologetically, and then he simply plunged his teeth into Giorgio's neck and drank from his vein until they both fell on their knees.

ooo

"_What does the fledgling do here?...Let Auntie say hello to the kitty."_

Jordana's teeth ground together, and if Bastien's hadn't rested on her bare arm, soothing, she might have lost her temper. But at the same time, she saw Juan stand, and then the trouble he was having. No longer the graceful man he'd been the other night, and it had the proper effect of cooling any retort she might have tossed out at the woman. That and Sebastien stepping forward, protecting her.

"_Ah, Jean-Charles, bad boy... Let Marie play with the kitten, you should sit down, you are so weak still."_ This time Jordana did let a small growl escape, however, she finally saw that Marie was powerful enough to have a healthy fear of, as a pair of claws appeared, reaching for her. Had the blonde had time to think about it, she might have been touched that the two men both sought to protect her. Marie, finally seemed to understand she wasn't going to be allowed to 'play' with Jordana, but the girl still kept an eye on her, afraid to look away, and not be prepared for attack.

Jordana sank into Bastien's waiting arms as he leaned into her, "Please. Do stay by my side." And even with her gaze on the woman, she managed to nuzzle against his jacket, with a nod. She was saddened to see Juan weak enough to stumble, having to bite down on her lip to keep from saying anything as he gave her an apologetic look. This was why Giorgio was here, to take care of his master, and there wasn't anything the blonde could, or would do as long as that snake was lurking in the corner, watching them. "Please, Bastien... let's get Rafe and go," she said softly. It was her turn to look sorry, but tonight there wasn't anything else she could do... for herself or Juan.

ooo

There was not much Sebastien could do to improve the situation, which was, if truth be told, rather depressing to look at, but not at all discouraging. It would take Giorgio a while to come to, yet he would be in good condition eventually, especially after Maria's exceptional coffee with the little 'extra'. The same, of course, applied for Juan, albeit without the coffee, and although the scars were deeper than last time and looked quite unbecoming, he would exist. The condition of Raphael, though, was not to be called fortunate in any aspect. He was sitting crouched in one distant corner of the room, obviously unharmed by Fontaigne, but probably harmed otherwise, predominantly mentally, and totally oblivious to the world around him: a tribute to the ability of anyone's mind to shut down in the long run.

"We will have to get him out of that corner," the tall Vampire put his thoughts into words, nodding slightly in Rafe's direction. However, this implied that they would have to cross the whole apartment, with Fontaigne behind their backs; which was out of the question, especially right now that she seemed to make another move towards them, coming forth from her corner. With Marie, you never knew. Everybody seemed to retreat into corners, it was an amusing aspect if you thought about it, at least right now, because, it appeared to Sebastien in the grotesque state of mind he felt himself being pulled into, if everybody behaved like this, the world would be so much more orderly. He chuckled – and froze, his head turning around to stare at Marie.

"Don't you dare playing your mind games with me," he said as firmly as possible, forcing his mind to work properly. "This is, after all, my father's private home. Like it or not, you will have to behave." Marie let her exquisite laughter ring out, and although she did not answer, the effect slowly ceased again. Maybe it was merely a warning, or a prelude, he could not tell. Giving a solemn nod to the direction of Maria, Sebastien turned to talk to Jordana once more, who was still standing close to him. "Do ignore me for the moment, will you. Try your best to get this boy out of here, and I promise to stay close on your heels on your way out."

ooo

After he finished relieving Giorgio of the better part of his blood, Juan carefully let him slip down where they were squatting and looked around. The wounds on his limbs already started to heal, but the scars would persist for quite a while if he did not find another way to diminish them; which he would do, of course. He saw Sebastien standing in the middle of the apartment, obviously eager to defend Jordana against the approaching Marie, and to his amazement heard his son chuckle.

So, this was why she had stayed. He gave a short humourless laugh, then rose and stretched out his arm with an imposing gesture. He had had his fill, and his skills of controling were already at a normal level again. "If you'll be so kind to stay back, Marie," he said, this time not at all weakly, but with full force. She halted, and putting her pretty hand to her mouth, looked at him in surprise, blinking. "What?"

Juan smiled. He knew this kind of game, and somehow he liked it. After all, she was several fries short of a happy meal, but he liked her games so very much. Talking to her like he would talk to a child, he said: "Now, now. You leave Bastien alone, my dear, and let them pass, and everything will be fine."

ooo

"_We will have to get him out of that corner."_ Jordana's eyes followed Sebastien's words, seeing the human crouched in the corner, looking quite worse for the wear. Damn, she'd tried to take him away last night, but no, she'd been assured he'd be alright. This did not look alright to her, and she gave a little snort of annoyance. But as soon as she heard Bastien chuckle, her gaze darted to him. What in the hell was going on around here tonight?

"_Don't you dare playing your mind games with me...This is, after all, my father's private home. Like it or not, you will have to behave_." Ok, that answered why Bastien was acting out of character. Then Sebastien turned to her, "_Do ignore me for the moment, will you. Try your best to get this boy out of here, and I promise to stay close on your heels on your way out_." It was a request Jordana would gladly adhere to, except that suddenly Juan was more himself, and he took control of the situation telling the deranged woman to stay back. To which he received a response that seemed to please him. "_Now, now. You leave Bastien alone, my dear, and let them pass, and everything will be fine_."

Jordana had had enough... and to see them doing some form of this flirty little game, was fanning the flames of her temper once more. She had planned on giving Juan at least a farewell kiss, but now he'd be lucky if she even gave him a polite goodnight. She no longer cared if the bitch came after her, and firmly stomped across the floor, stopping to kneel in front of Rafe. "Rafe...Rafe? It's me, Jordana." She reached out to brush a lock of dark hair away from his face, "We've come to take you back to the hotel with us." When she got no response, she turned her head to look at Bastien. "I think we should just each take an arm... and get him to the car." Letting her gaze move past the man, she gave Marie a hate filled look.

ooo

Juan had been watching Jordana thoughtfully. When he heard what she said, he raised his eyebrow and smiled faintly. 'One arm each'? How young was she? Did she not know about her capacities? But being well aware of her anger, he was wise enough to keep his thoughts to himself for the time being; he would have to enlighten her some time in the future. She was right to be mad at him, of course. He would have a hell of a time to show her that he still cared for her. But after all, this was an essential part of him, and although she was far from grasping its significance now, she would eventually, if he was not very much mistaken, understand how much he trusted her by showing her this.

He also felt remorse for treating the boy like he did. This was interesting, for he had seldom felt remorse for treating a servant the way he liked it. He put the sensation down to the fact that Jordana cared for Raphael, and this made him important. God, she looked gorgeous, and he did not want her to part with him in that angry state, after all it hurt his pride to remain inactive. "Jordana, darling," he ventured, his voice still a bit hoarse but otherwise perfect. "Please… You may be angry with me now, but I promise I will have an explanation for everything – if you only trust me the way I trust you." He could not keep his eyes from momentarily flickering towards Sebastien when he said the latter, but his son made no move to react.

Realizing that Bastien was indeed hiding something from him, Juan sighed and felt he could not hold his temper for much longer. "As I said before, I promise I will make up for it, dear. And I will take you wherever you want as soon as I can show my pretty face again in public." After a warning glance at Marie, who merely sniggered, he gestured at Sebastien to help her. He would not grovel any more. If this was not sufficient, it would be her loss. "Have a good night, then, and I will call you tomorrow." He had planned to reassure her again that he would get rid of Marie, but this involved Jordana believing him, which he very much doubted at the moment.

ooo

Sebastien had watched the silent exchange between the two others and had decided not to get in their way. This emotional rocking horse was not meant for him, anyway. He was astounded, too, that Jordana did not merely lift the boy up; she was doubtlessly strong enough. But now that his father made no move to help her, he took it as his duty to be of assistance, and was about to stride past Juan in order to carry Raphael by himself. When he was by Juan's side, tough, he was stopped momentarily by his hand, and thus called to another, more weighty duty, he looked his father in the eye. It was all he needed to do, no mental exchange necessary. Juan knew well that he disapproved of the whole ritual, and especially of Marie, and that he would never change his mind. But he probably also knew that there was something else on Sebastien's mind, something that had changed him to some degree and that he was not inclined to tell him.

He went to Jordana and squatted by her side. "May I?" Then, very carefully, he put his arms around Raphael, lifted him up in the same crouched position and stood with the boy on his arms. "We can leave now," he stated. "She will not molest us any further." When he walked towards the elevator, Maria was already waiting with the key. As soon as Raphael felt that someone was taking care of him, he started to cry. This was a good sign: once they started to weep, they would also recover.

ooo

The usual distinguished and tranquil manner in which Bastien dealt with the situation brought Juan finally back to his senses. Yet again, he had completely forgotten about the agreement with those gangsters that had to be completed within the next nights, or else - he was quite convinced of that - he would most probably lose the house. But now he even remembered that they had planned on talking about this during their petite phone call. Hence, when Bastien went past him with Raphael on his arms, he begged him to wait once more.

"You will have to get my servants to Howard tonight," he said softly. "I do hope they are all well and prepared." He continued talking softly, for as he was driven by the aforementioned emotion, he did not want to agitate the boy. When Raphael looked up at him, he gently stroked his hair out of his damp face and smiled, enforcing the effect a little bit with his presence. As was to be expected, the boy quickly calmed down.

"Of course, father," Sebastien replied with a curt nod. "I already talked to him." He looked at Jordana for a moment, then added somewhat hesitantly, "She talked to him, too." When Raphael stirred in his arms, he looked down on him, silently expressing his disapproval, yet he merely continued holding him. It would have done no good to put him down now, would it.

It was good news to hear that Jordana had talked to Howard, too. Knowing her charming way to deal with this hombre, Juan took it as a fortunate contribution to their business connection. "Very good. Ah, and you will need another car." Finally they had their silent exchange, but it was limited to a simple question, followed by an equally simple answer, then Juan fetched a key from his jacket and said to Jordana – as kindly as possible, "You can drive my car, my dear. Please tell Howard that I am inconsolable that I will not see his handsome face tonight. We will have plenty of other meetings in the near future." He had already regained most of his former elegance, and when he tossed her the key, his smile was irresistible.

ooo

"_Jordana, darling…Please… You may be angry with me now, but I promise I will have an explanation for everything – if you only trust me the way I trust you_." Blue eyes moved from the woman in the corner, to Juan as he spoke. "_As I said before, I promise I will make up for it, dear. And I will take you wherever you want as soon as I can show my pretty face again in public._" The last drew a wry look from Jordana, however she wouldn't point out it had been his own doing that brought Marie here to do her dirty deeds.

Sebastien moved up beside his father, stopping briefly enough for the blonde to appreciate the pair before he came over to her and the young servant. It was one of those moments where as you stand back watching, suddenly a light bulb clicks on in your head. And that's just how it was with Jordana as she watched Sebastien bend down and toss Rafe over his shoulder. "Yeah, ok, that works too," she said in all seriousness.

The blonde followed behind, stopping as father and son discussed business, and Howard's name came up, as Bastien told Juan that both he and Jordana had talked to the gangster boss. It didn't go unnoticed by the girl that her companion left out the content of her call, but, well last night had been theirs, and no one else including Juan needed to know what had happened. "_Very good. Ah, and you will need another car_." The dark haired man produced a key, "_You can drive my car, my dear. Please tell Howard that I am inconsolable that I will not see his handsome face tonight. We will have plenty of other meetings in the near future_."

He tossed her the key, and his smile was the exact one that had attracted Jordana to him. She stepped up closing the distance between them, "Finish this. Then we'll talk." Jordana smiled sweetly at Juan, looking him in the eye, "And yes, Juan, you will make this up to me." She leaned in brushing her lips to his then moved quickly to the door, waiting for Bastien.

ooo

Outwardly untouched by the slightly awkward exchange (or so it seemed to him) between Jordana and his father, Sebastien followed her to the door and waited politely until she got in. When she had entered the little car, he gently put Raphael down, asking Jordana to hold him by inclining his head a little and looking her in the eye. He did not, though, allow the thoughts that were racing through his mind to show. He had not told his father about last night. He had never kept a secret from him before, and besides, it probably was no secret to Juan, although the matter was left untold. Trying to keep all this well suppressed below the surface, he turned towards the apartment once more. "The key, father. And the other servant. We should not leave him here."

While watching Juan feed Giorgio a tiny bit of his blood, he realized that he was actually slightly annoyed. This struck him as highly unfamiliar. He was used to his father's somewhat bizarre interests and habits and had often waited for him or he had needed to remind him of his duty. This was standard. The roles were clear: Sebastien knew what needed to be done, and Juan shone at doing it. This time, though, his way to move and to talk, his utter ignorance of the importance, the responsibility certain tasks involved, was bothersome. Moreover, Juan's behaviour towards Jordana sent sensations through Sebastien's system he had never had before.

Oblivious to his surroundings as he might be, Juan was obviously aware of Sebastien's change of attitude, for he now looked up and cocked an eyebrow. Then, however, he merely smiled again, a bit morosely, if Sebastien was not very much mistaken, helped Giorgio up and watched him stagger to the door, but he made no move to follow him. It was the first time, too, that their good-bye did not involve a personal contact, but instead they exchanged another long glance before the elevator doors closing in front of Sebastien cut the connection, and the car, now carrying Jordana, the two servants and himself, moved down.

"The documents are in the glove compartment," Sebastien said, his tone of voice unnecessarily cold. "In case you should need them." He did not turn around until they reached the parking level. Only then, he turned, immediately lifted Raphael up again and carried him to Juan's car. "I presume you might want some company," he explained. Raphael felt warm and soft, and this in turn awakened memories of the past night. This time, Sebastien hardly managed to reboot. Meanwhile, Giorgio walked unsteadily to the Jag and sat down in the rear. Sebastien remained standing by Juan's car, with Rafe curled up in his arms, waiting for Jordana to open the door.

ooo

Jordana never once turned to look back into the room. She was done with this scene... the game... Marie… everything for tonight. It wasn't until Sebastien deposited Rafe inside, asking her to attend him, that she even moved. It took a bit of effort not to sigh, even though the Vampire had no need of the air, her young state still observed human habits, when the door finally slid closed.

She let her eyes flick toward Bastien several times during the ride down, but refused to break the silence, until he spoke, "_The documents are in the glove compartment... In case you should need them_." Bastien's tone hadn't been this cold since the night he walked in on her and Juan in the bathroom, and Jordana was a little taken back by it. Was he angry with her for some reason? Because she couldn't find any reason for him to be.

Her gaze followed as her dark haired companion picked the disabled servant up again as the door opened and stepped out into the parking garage. And all that was left to do was follow him, with Giorgio trailing after them. "_I presume you might want some company_," he commented stopping beside Juan's car, waiting for her to open the passenger side. With a harrumph sound, she impatiently moved past, jamming the key into the lock, and with a click pulled the handle, "Yeah, that'd be peachy." Damn it, why did that cold attitude always have to creep back in, the blonde thought, as the corners of her mouth turned down. "Guess I'll meet you back at the hotel."

ooo

He could sense that Jordana was annoyed, yet he did not know how to change it. Hence, instead of saying something reasonable, he merely confirmed her words with another curt nod, echoing, "At the hotel, yes." Then he turned to go to his own car. When he heard her enter the car, though, a distant and rarely used part of his brain that suddenly went into action made him turn once more and hold the door open before it would snap shut. "I… am looking forward to meeting you there, Miss Jordana, and I am sincerely sorry for what happened." He actually managed a faint smile before turning away again.

When Sebastien sat down in his own car, he heard Giorgio chuckle. The servant would not have been that bold if it had not been for the lasting effect of the drugs and the aftermath of the massive blood loss. The Vampire looked into the rear mirror. "What is it?"

Giorgio gesticulated helplessly before he finally managed to answer. "You… Seems you have the hots for her. " He chuckled again like a madman, and the sound was to some extent getting on Sebastien's nerves. "I have nothing of the sort, Giorgio, and I am not even sure what this expression implies," he answered stiffly, well aware that he had indeed quite a good idea what Giorgio was heading at. "In fact, the alliteration is more than poor, in more than one aspect,".

"But you like her a lot, right? Then, why the fucking hell don't you tell her?"

"Language, Giorgio." Taking the lead, Sebastien tried to concentrate on the driving. Then he finally admitted, "Because it would not do any good." And before the servant could start to argue, he raised one hand, quietening him. "I did not ask you for your opinion, Giorgio. Rest assured that I am well aware of the situation and its probable consequences, and I will do my very best to circumnavigate the whole affair with the least possible loss. This, however, might not include that everybody will be satisfied. Do not forget that the house is our first and foremost aim. Everything else, including my private matters, has to stand back."

He wondered why he was telling this Giorgio, of all people; one of his father's servants. These musings could not be led to an end, though, because the next moment Jordana shot past him in the claret TransAm, and the instant he saw her face he felt the same heat rising again that he had felt before. But Sebastien would not be Sebastien if he let himself be overtaken by a woman. The night traffic on Collins had eased considerably, the road was clear. He narrowed his eyes and involuntarily bared his teeth, and then he accelerated, aiming to drive by her side; at least.

ooo

Jordana was more then a little annoyed by Sebastien's cool demeanour. And as the car surfaced from the underground parking garage, she stepped on the gas pedal, gunning the engine. Never known for her ability or desire to follow, the blonde shot past Sebastien. Had the young vampire girl been able to hear the conversation going on in the other car, she might have been shocked that Bastien would say so much to the servant riding with him. Of course she wouldn't have liked the tone of the conversation.

Her eyes flickered to the young man huddled in the passenger seat, and Jordana wondered what the hell he'd seen to cause the withdrawal. However, she didn't have time to ponder it, for her gaze slipped to the window where she noticed Sebastien's car pulling up along side the TransAm. In her angered state, the woman only gave a smirk, as she pushed the speed up, pulling out in front.

As the chase continued, Jordana couldn't remain mad, and soon the exhilaration had her lips curved in a smile. Taking a quick left the car flew into the side parking lot and came to a screeching halt. But it was only when the car stopped and the engine died did she check her passenger again. "Rafe? Open your eyes, we're here... at the hotel, a safe refuge." After a moment the blonde turned to look for Bastien.

ooo

It was strange, but for the first time in his existence, Sebastien felt something alarmingly close to actual merriment. She drove the car like… well, like a man, to be exact, and in the end he took pleasure in letting her win. When he switched his own engine off, he wondered for a second if he had ignored any traffic lights on their way, but he could not remember. The short interlude had cleared his mind and helped him get rid of the nasty thoughts he had after they left Juan, but clearing his mind obviously also meant cutting out other things, like traffic rules. He reminded himself to be more watchful on their way to Howard.

Jordana was already standing by the TransAm, and behind her Raphael struggled to get out of the car. Sebastien tossed Giorgio the key and strode towards her. "I am impressed. I presume that I should let you drive in front when we go to Howard." He said so without any irony, in fact it would never have appeared to him that there ever was an appropriate situation when to use it. When he saw her smile, he answered the gesture with a polite nod and a shy twitch of the corners of his mouth. She looked gorgeous, even he noticed this, and the little race seemed to have lifted her spirits, just like his.

"We should fetch the… merchandise and get the deal over and done with," he said a little less stiffly than usual, walking by her side and into the lobby once more while the two servants helped each other tag along behind them. When he suddenly stopped, Giorgio almost run into him, giggled and brushed past them, dragging himself and Raphael upstairs. Sebastien turned to Jordana, working his jaw a bit, and then he said, "I would like to ask you something." While he was saying so, he realized that he was slightly excited. The way Marie had tried to manipulate his mind, the way Juan had looked at him, let alone the night with Jordana before, all that had to some extent shattered his shields. Right now, he did not want to be alone, and she seemed to be the only one who cared.

He cleared his throat. "It will probably take us only two or three hours to conclude the transaction, therefore we will have the rest of the night to ourselves… And I am quite certain that father will not want to see me again tonight… Hence, I wonder. Maybe you would like to spend another few hours with me… Or even..." At this point, Liberty came downstairs, happily announcing that the servants were 'ready for takeoff,' and Sebastien fell silent.

ooo

Jordana leaned against the front of the TransAm, watching as the dark haired vampire got out of the car parked beside hers. She couldn't help letting her eyes wander over him in a bit of admiration when he started walking toward her, Giorgio trailing behind. "_I am impressed. I presume that I should let you drive in front when we go to Howard,_" Bastien said when he stopped.

A smile appeared across the blonde's lips, and had she not been watching Sebastien, she might have missed the twitch of his lips as he nodded. 'Interesting,' Jordana thought but knowing if she said anything, or teased him, the man would clam up, didn't say anything. "_We should fetch the… merchandise and get the deal over and done with,_" They began walking side by side toward the entrance, with Giorgio helping Rafe behind them.

Sebastien stopped abruptly, almost ran over by the two servants, who swerved around him at the last moment, with a giggle coming from the older of the pair. Jordana also stopped, but let her gaze follow Giorgio and Rafe until they disappeared. "_I would like to ask you something_." The blonde's gaze swivelled back to her companion, as she tried to hide her surprise. _"It will probably take us only two or three hours to conclude the transaction, therefore we will have the rest of the night to ourselves… And I am quite certain that father will not want to see me again tonight… Hence, I wonder. Maybe you would like to spend another few hours with me… Or even..."_ Jordana was speechless... but only until they were interrupted by Liberty, and Sebastien stopped talking.

"Hello, Liberty," Jordana greeted with a smirk, letting her eyes slide over the girl, before returning to the man at her side. "Yes, Bastien. Let's get this business done and over with, so we can enjoy the rest of our night." The servant would have no idea that she'd just walked up at the wrong moment, or even what Jordana was agreeing to. But Jordana bet Bastien understood the answer. Linking her arm with his, she smiled at Liberty again. "Shall we? I'm sure Howard is chomping at the bit for our presence." That, and the blonde couldn't wait to be alone with Sebastien to see what he was going to say or do, so out of his character, next.

ooo

Liberty seemed almost surprised to see Jordana by Sebastien's side once more, but her pretty mouth nevertheless split into a genuine smile as soon as she set eyes on her, and completely ignoring Sebastien for a moment, she kissed the blonde Vampire hello. Then she drew back, growing serious again, and asked with wide eyes, "How is the boss? Is he all right? Is the bitch gone? Shall I get the people to the cars?"

Sebastien, who had been holding on to Jordana's arm because it would have been impolite not to do so, answered in her place. When Liberty interrupted him, he had first been irritated that his speech, having taken so long to be finally uttered, was brought to such a sudden close. However it was quite a relief not to be forced to finish it in the end, for he was not really sure what exactly he had wanted to tell her. In any case, he would never say anything private to Jordana in front of a servant, not even his own, and obviously Jordana had grasped the meaning of his words nevertheless.

"Juan is well, but he would like to have a night to himself," he said in a severe voice. "Yes, Madame Fontaigne has left town already. If you will be so kind to distribute the… people to the Jaguar and the TransAm. Miss Jordana will be driving the other one." Liberty cocked her head while making a mock curtsy and chuckled. "Yes sir, certainly sir." Then, behind his back, she tabbed Jordana on the arm and mouthed 'He gave you his car?' The face she pulled made clear that this was quite exceptional.

Short time later, the five servants that were meant for Howard and his lot were sitting in the cars, three in Sebastien's and two in Jordana's. With one eye on Jordana, Liberty promised to take care of Rafe before hurrying up the stairs again. Sebastien cast a glance at the Jag. In the passenger seat, with a face that made it quite clear she would not deign to sit in the rear with the others, was Jamila. He sighed inwardly and let her have it her way. It would feel good to finally get rid of her, even though his father seemed to like her, and if she dared play with the lighter, he would simply knock her out.

Before sitting down, Sebastien directed his eyes over the car and in Jordana's direction, and when she looked his way, he gave another nod and even ventured another faint smile, although it never reached his eyes. He kept his promise and let her drive first, and while they were heading towards Las Olas, he called Howard over his cell phone to tell him that they were on their way. Howard did not sound surprised that he was talking to Sebastien once again, but it could well be that Juan had called him to warn him in advance; a procedure that usually did not mean anything to Sebastien, but this time (in fact, for the first time, like so many things recently) made him feel slightly bothered.

_To be continued…_


	13. Chapter 13

**Nights of surprises - For disclaimer see chapter 1**

* * *

Chapter 13

It had not been easy to get rid of Marie Fontaigne, but in the end Juan had managed to convince her that they had indeed had enough 'fun' and that there was nothing to beat anticipation. To his housekeeper's utter relief, he personally saw the Red Devil to the car, and now that his limousine was already gone, he had also been spared any kind of shunting trouble. They never kissed good-bye. Marie smiled at him, trailed her fingers over the fading scars on his face and folded into the little cab. Before she had even started the car, he turned away and moved the elevator upstairs again.

The last glance he had exchanged with Sebastien had deeply stirred him. Something had gone wrong, utterly and perfectly wrong. Of course his boy had spent the night with Jordana, and probably in her bed, but that was not a problem; at least not for him. As he always used to say, why not share what life – or rather: un-life - had to offer? But… well, perhaps Sebastien did not want to share. Could it be that, after more than hundred years, his son had finally fallen in love?

Juan chuckled at the thought; it was strange to imagine that Bastien could be capable of enough fire to even fan the flames, let alone keep the fire going. But he should know better than that: he knew him too well, he had watched him fight, and in spite of everything, Bastien was his childe. He was part of his blood. Javier had tried to prevent him from becoming what his sire was, but that did not mean the old man needed to succeed eventually. But if this was true, it would be such a loss… No, they would have to find another way.

He had stepped outside the elevator without thinking and hit the wall with his fist, and only then he realized that Maria was anxiously watching him. Forcing a smile, he made a polite comment regarding the cleaning, then turned away to sit down by the phone. It was fortunate that the furniture had not arrived yet; so much less to clean… Juan closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then recalled the number his Nosferatu friend had told him weeks before. They had talked about Paris and times long past. Erique was still in Paris, and he would never get out. They would never meet again.

Well, there was no need to become sentimental now, in fact there were much more important things to be done. Juan picked up the receiver and dialled the number. While listening to the ringing tone, he started licking his hand again. The wounds had healed, but the skin looked appalling, and it felt awful, too. He dearly hoped that this Gary still existed and could indeed be of help.

ooo

A few miles away and a few yards below ground, a cell phone produced a sound very much like an angry cricket. Two bald heads, one smooth and fish-belly pale, one dark and wart-covered, turned to look at the device which was lying on top of some potato sacks.

"Intruder?" Frederick guessed.

Gary inclined his head into a position indicating deep thought. Meanwhile, the phone kept chirping. "No," he finally rumbled. "They'd call you, not me." The Nosferatu elder reached out one long arm and took the small device in his large gnarled hand. "I don't know this number," he added after a moment of staring at the display.

"Well, won't you answer it?" the younger Nosferatu wanted to know. "Could be someone who wants some intel."

In response, the large, hulking Elder raised his other hand and very carefully pressed a button with the tip of one extended talon. "Gary here," he rumbled.

ooo

He had been listening to the ringing tone for what seemed to be a very long time, and he had almost given up hope that anyone would answer the phone at all, then out of a sudden someone answered. And now it would seem that he had not only dialled the right number but was also talking to the maestro himself. After Juan had started feeling disappointed first, he now felt utterly excited. Getting into contact with them was always so… different; so exotic, so… curative.

"This is Jacques Lavalle," he started, then hesitated. "Well no, listen: this is Juan. Monsieur D. from the Paris vaults gave me your number, and I am very pleased to hear your voice, Gary. He told me to tell you that you should do something about these verrucae of yours, and I am confident that you fully understand what he implies. Indeed, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to be talking to you, and I do hope that I will meet you in person as soon as possible." Vaguely remembering the creatures usually gathered down there, he imagined the face this Gary might be making right now, and smiled impishly before continuing: "Quite frankly, my dear Gary: I need your help."

ooo

Gary sat motionless, listening. Frederick stared at him, also unmoving, his large black eyes not blinking, not looking away from Gary's face.

"I see," Gary finally rumbled. "I seem to recall our mutual friend mentioning your name once or twice, Juan. I, too, am pleased to be making your acquaintance."

Frederick frowned fiercely. Juan? Didn't ring a bell. Come on, Gary, he thought. Gimme more. A domain. A Prince. Anything.

"Verrucae?" the Elder went on. "Very funny. It is good to know that he hasn't lost his sense of humour. When I last contacted him, he was suffering from one of his frequent melancholies, and he would barely give me the time of night. But I digress. What is it I can help you with, Juan?"

During this small speech, Gary studiously kept his gaze averted from Frederick's questioning one, so the younger Nosferatu finally resorted to poking his Sire with one talon.

_Juan_? Frederick mouthed when Gary at last looked at him.

_Paris_, Gary mouthed back.

ooo

"Yes, his melancholies…" Juan's lips formed the same sad smile again while he remembered his time there, down in the catacombs. Of course, the memory hurt. It always did. He finally realized that he was holding the receiver without speaking into it, and gave a short laugh. "Well, I am sorry, I guess I was carried away by a reminiscence. Anyway, this is what I need you for, dear Gary. I have a kind of… skin problem right now, which I desire to cure as fast as possible. Our mutual friend told me that you are well-versed in the field of alchemy…"

His voice trailed off. He was well aware that, even though Gary had a weighty advocate and Nosferatu were more or less peaceful people, he was about to put his un-life into the hands of a stranger. He hoped that this Gary would at least propose to pay him a visit in his Elysium, or else he was forced to go down there and would be even more at their mercy.

ooo

"Alchemy," Gary rumbled, nodding to himself. "Well, as long as you don't expect me to give you back your mortal life, I would say that my skills are probably adequate, certainly for something as simple as a skin problem."

Frederick's eyes grew wide. This was certainly different. Normally, their kind was contacted for information. A Vampire (and from Gary's remark, Frederick was assuming that the person on the other end of this conversation was Vampire) requesting help in the form of alchemy happened once in a blue moon. Most Vampire didn't even know that Nosferatu possessed the ancient knowledge.

"I don't profess to know every secret the way our Ancient on the West Coast does, but if you would give me a few more details, I'm sure I can concoct something that will help you."

"If not, he can always get somethin' from Vichy," Frederick whispered, and Gary made a cutting throat gesture in his direction. Frederick giggled silently.

ooo

This Gary was as helpful and understanding as Erique had stated he would be, in fact he surpassed Juan's expectations. "You are most kind," he answered. "And of course, I will be obliged to you. Now, listen closely. I have a lady friend with quite a weird sense of, uh huhuh, affection. For instance, she finds great pleasure in skinning me alive…" He let the sentence sink in before continuing.

"She did so last night, and although the wounds have healed to quite a sufficient degree, I daresay, she must have been more thorough – or less careful – than the last times." Here, he allowed himself a deep sigh that combined sweet memories with deep regret. "I am a vain man, dear Gary, and I cannot afford my business partners to see me in this state. What I should need would be something that makes those scars go away."

ooo

"As for the price of my services, I'm sure you've conducted business with my kind before," Gary rumbled. "Whatever debt you owe me will be collectible by any member of my family, at any time. We can agree on a price as soon as I know what exactly you will require me to do."

He listened for a minute, his wart-covered forehead drawing into a frown. "Skinned alive?" he repeated. "For pleasure?" For a moment, he stared at Frederick, and Frederick stared back.

Then, as the younger Nosferatu tapped his forehead with his index finger and Gary shrugged in agreement, the Elder went on, "You will require a regrowing of all epithelial layers, if I understand you correctly. Hm. It's simple, but not easy to do. I shall need a bit of your intact skin and a few drops of your blood - everything else is on hand. Since I never leave the warrens, I'll send my operative to a location of your choosing to gather these samples, if that's agreeable with you. Unless you wish to negotiate for a price first."

Operative? Frederick mouthed.

Gary shrugged a shoulder. "Would you prefer 'errand boy'?" he rumbled softly.

ooo

Juan leaned back against the bed and closed his eyes. Yes, that was what he had dreaded. Some of his blood: currently everybody seemed to want it. "I understand. Yes, my dear Gary, that will certainly be feasible. As to the location of my choice, I rather had your operative came to my place. It is a safe way to get here, too, for the condominium is endowed with a spacious underground parking lot, you will find it in an instant." He told Gary the address.

"Uh, one more little thing. Please do tell your operative that he is supposed to use the doorbell. I am a little bit touchy right now, and I would not like unannounced guests. And, yes I am fully aware of how to deal with your kind." He coughed politely. "In more than one way. Well, then that there is everything settled…"

He looked at his arm and wondered if in fact all layers were gone. It looked indeed strange, but also bizarre, interesting. He could see his muscles work and the sinews and the vessels… For a moment he contemplated making a show of it first, maybe for one or two weeks, and only then getting a new skin. He had never thought about that before. Just imagine, a whole ballet without skin, now that would be something different, you could see his anatomy at work. But, of course, this had to stay one of his more private fantasies.

"Gary, let me thank you again. I am looking forward to seeing your operative, and I am convinced we will agree on an adequate price." He put down the receiver and looked around. Maria was standing a few steps away, watching him. He addressed her in Spanish. "You think I am losing it, right?"

She smiled, albeit as sadly as he had done before. "What I think, Juanito, is not important. It is only important what you think, what you will do in the future. You told me his words, my boy. You said he wanted you to change, and then he would meet you and decide if you could be pardoned."

In spite of the truthfulness of her words, Juan laughed. "Yes, and did I not change? No, you are perfectly right, Maria, I did not. I merely feel newborn. Ah, do not look at me like that. How could I change? It is he who made me, never forget that."

ooo

Gary gently put the cell down back onto the potato sacks, giving it an absent pet as if it were alive, and Frederick wondered if the Elder somehow thought of the device the same way he'd think of a servanted rat - something useful, something to be treated carefully, and with a bit of kindness.

"I'll hand you two glass vessels, Freddy," Gary said after a moment of thought. "You'll need to remove a bit of skin using a puncher which I'll give you as well. From the resulting small wound, you must gather some blood. It's imperative that you also capture the humours that escape with it." The Elder fell silent, waiting.

"Humours?" Frederick rasped, predictably. "As in, puns and sitcom?"

Gary merely looked at him.

"Guess not, huh?" the younger Nosferatu giggled. "Okay, got ya. Anything else?"

"Seal the vessels tightly after adding a few drops of liquid martial regulus, so that the kundalini doesn't rise from the samples, and don't expose them to light. Don't dally, Childe. Oh, and use the doorbell to announce yourself. It's only polite."

--------------

An hour later, Frederick, again in his guise as an old man, was shuffling to the door indicated by their customer. It was a strange feeling to be above ground again; while the discipline of Obfuscate afforded some protection, it was by no means infallible.

Extending one talon, the Nosferatu pressed the doorbell button. "Avon callin'," he rasped, giggling.

ooo

He could have sent Maria to operate the elevator this time, but Juan preferred to throw a glance at his guest before allowing him to enter his apartment. He was still wearing his black leather overall, leaving his arms uncovered and thus showing the scars, but he seldom met someone in the parking lot at this time of night, and if he did he would just have to risk it. Right now, he did not feel like putting on a jacket, and he liked to risk things, anyway.

When the elevator doors slid open, he saw a little old man. This was so pathetic. The mask of a thousand faces did offer a variety of possibilities, yet many of them tended to stick to their own shape as closely as possible, probably because it was less strenuous to use the Mask that way, and maybe also because old habits die hard. He quickly squinted at his guest and discerned his original shape. Ah, he looked interesting. Gary's operative was one of the tough little ones, then.

Juan set up his practically genuine beaming smile and made an inviting gesture. "Do come in, my dear. I am grateful that you took the trouble to get here, but we should move upstairs to my modest residence, where we can discuss things in quiet." Once the elevator doors closed behind them, he added, "You can lower your mask now. Apart from my housekeeper, we will be entre nous."

ooo

Frederick squinted up at Juan, taking in the disfiguring scars, the demeanour, the accent. Nobleman, he thought, possibly a pimp, too. Naw, a pimp wouldn't invite me to show him my true shape. A nobleman then. A nobleman with a strange taste in sexual practices - somethin' ya don't meet every night.

"Ya sure, Gov?" he rasped. "No guests I could disgust? That housekeeper's got good nerves? Oh well, if you insist." He closed his eyes and relaxed the part of his mind that could talk to and shape the shadows, revealing his Roswell alien appearance.

"Frederick's the name," he added somewhat belatedly, inclining his large bald head in a gesture of submission. "Gary's authorized me to do the negotiatin'. I've got everything we need in here -" he indicated his backpack, "so by all means, let's get to it. Right behind ya, Gov."

ooo

Frederick's shape was, as he had already learned to know, quite interesting, and he faintly reminded Juan of something he had seen in a highly amusing science fiction movie years ago, when business was low and Giorgio had one of his funny notions. Hence, Juan's smile did not in the least falter when he looked down at the little Nosferatu, on the contrary: he held his hand out to him, trying not to bend down. "Enchanté. My name is Jacques Lavalle, but my friends call me Juan. Do call me Juan."

He batted his eyes in an almost flirtatious manner, giving Frederick a once over before turning away in order to walk through the open doors into his apartment again. When Maria saw his warning glance and the reason for it following him, she opened her eyes wide for a moment, but then controlled herself and curtsied to the guest. "I must apologize," Juan said, ignoring her forthwith and walking in front of Frederick, "but I have arrived only a few nights ago and still have to finish furnishing my residence." Adding in his thoughts, 'and maybe I never will if I go on like that.'

"I presume you have everything you need in this most fascinating bag of yours." He sat down on the bed and extended his arms to his sides in a theatrically submissive motion. "Help yourself. Extract whatever you need." He watched Frederick rummage in his bag and lowered his arms again. "By the way, my dear Frederick. I am convinced that we could get involved in more than this one deal. Do you not think so?"

ooo

"Juan," Frederick rasped, taking the offered hand. "Cooool." He grinned at the other Vampire, showing two rows of pointed teeth. "You might as well call me Freddy, then, seein' as how everybody else does it."

This was nice. He'd fully expected to be treated with the contempt the Pretty Vampires normally held for Nosferatu, and it certainly was a surprise to be greeted like an equal. In response, Frederick was on his best behaviour, and when the housekeeper first stared and then curtsied at him, he even resisted the urge to pull a face at her.

"Well," he rasped when Juan apologized for the state of his residence, "it's pretty neat for an above-surface haven, really, if you like that kinda thing. You probably wouldn't want any advice on interior decoratin' from me, so I'm keepin' my yap shut." In truth, there was not much Frederick would be able to suggest anyway. He loved the earthy smell of fungus and the soothing sound of dripping water, but anything of the kind would of course be quite out of place here.

Setting down his backpack and extracting and arranging the alchemical paraphernalia Gary had given to him, he answered without thinking, "I'd love to get involved with you, Juan, considerin' that you like to play rough -" He trailed off, looking at the Vampire out of wide eyes. "Sorry. That just slipped out. Just ignore that last bit."

To cover his embarrassment, he held up the puncher. "Um. Where would you like me to nail you with this?" He blinked innocently.

ooo

This was so refreshingly different. Without missing a beat, Juan replied, "You need a piece with skin on, I presume…" He mirrored the innocent look by the help of decades of experience and added under his breath, "… for this time." He did not really have any ambitions regarding the funny little creature, but you never knew… After all, the tiny Nosferatu could turn out to be extremely useful, and although Juan seldom took part in the business itself, he had already had weirder costumers than Frederick, believe it or not.

"Well then, my dear Freddie," he continued, unlacing his catsuit. "There are not many places left unscathed, apart from the face. You do not want to penetrate my face, though." He smiled mischievously while undressing. "Hence, I leave it to you to find an appropriate place for your… administrations. As far as I know, there are more and less suitable areas, regarding the humours."

He had gone through this before, and he remembered fairly well that neither the extraction process nor the actual cure was something to look forward to. The image of Sebastien staring at him arose in front of his mind's eye, and suddenly he got angry; with himself, with Marie for choosing such a lousy moment, and with the world in general. Trying to fight down the feeling of rage and shame that wanted to gain the upper hand yet again, he bit his lip and said, "You might want to be quick. I am looking forward to receiving the concoction as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow night, and right now, I feel a bit below par."

ooo

"A piece with skin on would be favorable, yeah," Frederick rasped, eyeing the Vampire's naked form as it was revealed to his sight. Then he cast him another quick glance when Juan mentioned the humours. So. That guys was in the know. He'd probably been through something like this before - so much the better.

"Arm pits are always humorous," the Nosferatu rasped deadpan, keeping up a running commentary as he surveyed the customer, "but apparently someone else thought so too already. That other very humorous piece down there I think I'd better leave alone. Same goes for the palms and soles of feet. Wow, Juan, I only need a tiny little bit o' skin, but it seems your hide's been tanned good. Wait. How about behind your ear? Thin skin, but it means I wouldn't accidentally get any muscle tissue, and hardly anyone would see it. Plus, great humours there. That okay with you? And don't worry, I'm a master of the quick nailin'. I'll be in and out before you know it."

ooo

"Very droll, my dear Freddie," Juan answered while picking up his overall and putting it on again. "You could have told me so beforehand, could you not." He slipped into it but did not feel like closing it; and after what they had shared the minute before, this was obviously not necessary any more, either.

In any case, this Freddie person had the talent to cheer up the mood considerably, even one as subdued as Juan's. "Yes, you are right," he said, trying to sound a bit more his usual merry self. "She is always very thorough, so if you ever need a peeling that covers virtually all, long term deep action, so to say, I can give you her number."

He sat down on the bed once more and cocked his head. "In and out before I know it, yes… You should be careful with your words, young man, or else they could very likely be used against you." He scanned Freddie's wiry frame and imagined the tiny dimensions, then laughed. "But have your way with me. I like you, Freddie."

ooo

Frederick couldn't suppress a tiny snicker when Juan mentioned that he needn't have undressed. Blinking innocently, he rasped, "Yeah, well, there are better spots than behind the ear. I had to make sure. And no, I'm not feelin' the need for a peelin'. God only knows what might be revealed in my case."

Picking up the puncher once more, he gently pushed Juan to lie down on his back. "You like me? Coool. Makes havin' my way with you so much more fun." He grabbed the glass vessel for the skin sample in his other hand.

"All kiddin' aside, I need you to lie very still now. This part of the operation is a bit tricky. I'm gonna punch you - you'll be feelin' a sharp sting, and it's probably gonna be a bit loud this close to the ear, and then I'm gonna do somethin' weird with this thing -" he held up the glass vessel - "somethin' humorous, to be exact. And Gary warned me not to let the kundalini escape from your blood, so you're gonna be smellin' somethin' funny, and it won't be me."

He leaned down so his large black eyes were only a few inches away from Juan's. "And when we're finished, I'm not supposed to dally, so I'm afraid you'll have to use my words against me some other time." Blink. Blink. "Ready whenever you are, Juan."

ooo

Juan realized that as soon as he concentrated on the little guy who was chatting so cheerfully, his spirits got high, and this could not only be put down to the lasting effect of the drugs he had imbibed with Giorgio's blood. It was like moving in a strange dream, peculiar and thrilling and highly entertaining. Out of a sudden, he remembered this strange movie again and imagined that he was right in the middle of it, with the alien extracting some of his blood. This, in turn, rapidly reminded him of the danger he might be in, in spite of all the playfulness.

Without ceasing to smile, he put one hand around Freddie's neck, not unfriendly, but demonstratively enough to show him that he knew how to use it, too. Pulling the little face with the big black eyes even closer, he said, "Listen closely, my friend. I will lie still, and yes, I am ready. But please do bear in mind that I am also very well in the know about the usual proceedings, and should you – against all better knowledge – decide to play games with me, I will not be completely helpless."

His smile just beamed. "Please do not take me wrong. As I said, I like you. I just wanted to put up a little warning flag." He amiably patted Freddie's cheek and threw his head back. "Now, if you please. Do what has to be done."

ooo

Frederick had to fight down the urge to lean in and lick the face so close to his, but with a valiant effort, he restrained himself. "Fine, fine, fine," he rasped. "No fuckin' around, or I'm screwed. Gotcha."

Gathering his paraphernalia, the Nosferatu gently positioned Juan's head. "Hold still, please." He placed the puncher onto the tender skin, rasped, "Three, two, one," and punched.

There was a sharp click as the bit of skin was punched out, another click as it was deposited in the vessel, then Frederick moved the vessel in a complicated pattern above the wound, and then, with a glassy sliding sound, the stopper was in place.

While one hand was depositing the vessel onto the nearby table, Frederick's other hand was already capturing the few drops of blood that were oozing out of the tiny wound, and then he reached for a small dark bottle, opened it one-handed and dripped three drops of a dark green liquid onto the blood in the glass vessel. A second later, this vessel, too, was stoppered.

"There," Frederick rasped. "Done. Quicker'n poppin' a cherry. Want me to lick it closed?"

ooo

After all that he had gone through the other night, this was a mere trifle. Even the extraction itself was much less strenuous than the time before, or so it seemed. While Juan watched Frederick, it suddenly appeared to him that he probably underestimated the little chap. In fact, he knew exactly what to do, and he did so with obvious experience, and in contrast to his loose tongue, his movements were measured.

Hence, as strange as it seemed, this was the first time after a long time that Juan experienced pain without associating anything indecent with it. For one sweet moment, he felt almost spotless. Then Frederick offered to lick the wound clean, and the world grew familiar again. "Yes please, I would not want to miss this for anything on earth." He kept to himself that leftovers of the drug might still be in his system. It would be fun to watch how Frederick dealt with that.

ooo

Frederick stared at the back of Juan's head in amazement. He hadn't expected to be taken up on his offer. Allowing a strange Vampire this close to the throat seemed very careless, almost an invitation for diablerie. Could it be that Juan was so old, so weary of his existence, that he didn't care? Or was it the lingering experience that was affecting him? Frederick couldn't even imagine what it might be like to be skinned, even if one liked pain.

Or was Juan trying to trick him into a blood-bond?

Shrugging, the Nosferatu decided to hell with it. There was hardly any blood left on the wound; whatever effect it might have wouldn't even last this night.

Bending over Juan, he touched his tongue to the wound, feeling it close almost immediately. There was a slight tingling, and he froze, but nothing more seemed to be happening, certainly no increased affection or the sudden need to do something crazy like offering up his un-life for the Vampire, so Frederick supposed that no harm was done.

He straightened and gathered his things, putting them back into his backpack. "We must do this again sometime," he rasped cheerfully, "maybe with a little more penetrative action. These quickies are always so unsatisfying. Oh, and as for the debt you'll owe us, I'm supposed to tell you from Gary that he'll decide on that when he sees how much work it's gonna be, how many and what materials he'll need to invest and such."

Frederick paused in his explanation when a strange sensation rose up in him, something very much like sexual arousal. He giggled. "Hey, what's that you're on, Juan? Feels real good."

ooo

As soon as Frederick had finished, Juan sat up, watching him out of tired eyes and listening to his ramblings. He smiled, but feebly now, and felt that he was indeed weary of it all. Maybe the drug had finally been absorbed by his system, or the whole excitement was getting on his nerves. Well, at least the leftover drug was yet enough to work for Freddie, although the tiny fellow obviously did not need much to get excited, anyway.

"It is an old recipe, and I honestly cannot tell you the ingredients. I receive it from an old friend in Greece. If you like, I can contact him for you." He noticed that his voice sounded a bit weak, too, and saw to his surprise that Maria had crossed the room and was now standing by Freddie's side. When he raised his eyebrows inquiringly, she merely looked back at him, folding her hands.

"Frederick – Freddie. Thank you very much for you visit, but I do not want to detain you." He stood up and walked to the door as if he was in top condition, but he knew that the façade would not last for much longer. "Of course we will have more time for each other next time." He leaned against the doorframe while the elevator doors opened. "Till then, please do tell Gary my best regards and I am looking forward to the outcome of these proceedings."

ooo

"Huh. Old Greek recipes, huh? Sounds fun." He didn't add that for someone who had access to things like that it sure was strange that he'd need additional kicks like getting himself skinned. But the Pretty Vampires were all a bit perverted, after all; every Nosferatu knew that.

Frederick also knew when he was dismissed, so he carefully slung his backpack over his shoulder and hopped into the elevator. "Will do, Juan. We'll be in touch." The doors closed in front of him as he touched two fingers of his right hand to his nonexistent forelock.

The lingering warmth was still lighting up the front of his thin body, and Frederick grinned. "Kundalini's risin'. Wonder if Gary's up for some action," he rasped to nobody in particular.

ooo

Sitting back, Juan looked at Maria and smiled. "Well… We'll have another eight years of silence now, my dear. Is that not wonderful?" She shook her head and set to work once more, to do whatever she had to do. He fell back onto the bed and stared at the phone, wondering whether Sebastien and Jordana were still at the hotel, and if he would make a fool of himself if he called now. He could have needed her company right now, and it gave him a pang of bad conscience that he had sent her to do his work instead.

Turning this around in his mind, Juan realized that he was also at least on the verge of falling in love. Oh yes, that was perfect. The ways of the heart were wondrous and cruel, even if said heart was not beating. He would enjoy the feeling as long as it lasted, bathe in self-pity for a while, carry on staring at the phone a little longer, and then probably call her; if she was there.

So… he would make a fool of himself after all, but it was worthwhile, and he certainly wanted to spend the next night with her. She would like to learn something about the Nosferatu, would she not, and he did not want to risk drinking the stuff without her safely by his side. He frowned. Did he really think like that? He had totally forgotten about Sebastien for a moment. But that was exactly what he wanted: Jordana by his side. Sebastien had other, more important things to do, he was pretty sure of that; and if not, he would find some.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	14. Chapter 14

_For disclaimer see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 14

Jordana allowed the familiarity with the servant, because she genuinely liked Liberty. From the sassy greeting the first night, to their chance at getting better acquainted when the girl had offered her own clothing, Jordana felt a kinship with the young human. And yet the blonde vampire let Bastien answer, only smiling at the rapid way she asked them. It was good for Sebastien to spend time around Liberty, because she humoured him with good grace, and ignored his rough edges when it came to dealing with others.

"Juan is well, but he would like to have a night to himself….Yes, Madame Fontaigne has left town already. If you will be so kind to distribute the… people to the Jaguar and the TransAm. Miss Jordana will be driving the other one." Sebastien answered in that stern voice he used when annoyed, and Jordana hid a smile as Liberty chuckled a reply. But as she felt the girl tap her arm, the blonde turned to see the servant's surprised face as she mouthed the words, 'He gave you his car?' And in response, Jordana jangled the keys in her hand, a smirk curving her lips.

Everything had moved smoothly so far, and the humans waited in the cars for their vampire escorts. Liberty's last words to Jordana before she disappeared upstairs, was something to the effect that she'd take care of Rafe, allowing the blonde to concentrate on the business at hand. And the young vampire had strolled gracefully across the parking lot, and sliding into the drivers seat. Her gaze moved across the short distance, locking on Bastien, as he gave her first a nod to go ahead, and then a weak smile. Those tiny smiles seemed to be coming more frequently, and it gave Jordana hope that eventually she'd break through his tough shell. The tiny cracks were already starting. With a return smirk and a wave, the girl stepped on the gas and shot out of the hotel parking. The night was young and she had a date, after they got done with business.

ooo

This time, Howard was waiting for them outside. He was standing legs apart and arms akimbo in front of the house, his bodyguards hovering by his side, and for a moment Sebastien indulged in the considerably entertaining reflection on how long exactly they might be able to keep standing that way. There were additional cars out there this time, and before he even got out of the Jag he knew that there were also supplementary thugs in close proximity, scattered around the premises. He wondered whether Howard had expected him to advance with an army. After all, they were here for business only, and the gang wanted to get rid of the house, hence there was actually no reason for taking such exaggerated precautions. On the other hand, he recalled the little incident with Banks last time they met, and deduced that this might have made Howard consider preventative measures.

When Howard set eyes on the TransAm, he looked slightly thoughtful (confirming Sebastien's assumption that Juan had in fact called him), but his face lit up as soon as he discerned Jordana. He had probably not expected her to be part of the family to such extent that she even got the car keys. Sebastien knew better; apart from showing off, Juan had never been greatly attached to material things, including cars, but he was wise enough not to let everybody know. Conversely, Howard could not know that Jordana had joined him only three nights ago.

The big boss was not easily impressed, and although the five servants that were now gracefully getting out of the cars looked exceedingly above average, he scrutinized them silently, one by one, taking his time. When he came to Jamila, though, his jaw dropped. With one eye on Jordana, he said, his voice slightly rough, "I take them. The deal is done." Without hesitating any further, he pulled the petite beauty in a tight embrace, grazing the delicate skin of her neck with his teeth, but not yet punctuating it. Jamila reacted professionally, as was to be expected from one of Nicos' pupils. She nestled up against him like a cat, putting her slender arms around his neck as if she had always belonged there, and smiled up at him with an expression of artfully timid adoration.

Sebastien watched all this, standing slightly apart from the others, with his back to his car. As soon as Howard declared the deal closed, he made a few steps towards Howard, produced two papers and a pen from his jacket and said, "I would feel obliged if you signed these two receipts, sir. Furthermore, I would like to encourage you to leave the house by the weekend, so that the restoration procedures can commence as soon as possible. The outstanding payment will have been transferred to your account by then. I take it you agree on this and are thoroughly satisfied with the transaction. I hope you'll do us the honour of coming to our official opening." During the entire speech, he did not blink even once.

Holding Jamila in his arm, Howard groped for the papers, but before he could sign anything, Maynard snatched them from his hand, mumbling an apology. The would-be nobleman looked positively desolate, he did not dare look Sebastien in the eye, and his whole demeanour had the poor quality of a beaten dog. After studying the receipts meticulously for some minutes, he handed them back to his master, nodding his consent. Howard, who had not stopped him, took them back, signed them both, and tossed them back at Sebastien. Then he turned away without any further comment. He was obviously eager to be alone with his newly acquired toy. Only then, Maynard cast a glance at Sebastien that could be vaguely interpreted as affable.

ooo

Jordana chuckled as she turned into the drive and saw the pose Howard had effected, for their benefit no doubt. And as the car came to a stop, and she switched off the ignition, the blonde let her gaze move around the darkened yard. It never hurt to assess the competition, even though she didn't fear Howard was going to attack. Her eyes strayed to the Jag as Bastien parked beside her, and Jordana let him take the lead this time, exiting first, while she watched from her position in the drivers seat.

In moments, Jordana grew tired of waiting and gracefully climbed from the car, indicating with the wave of a hand for her passengers to also exit. She smiled, when Howard's eyes roamed over her, then returned from time to time, as he inspected the servants. "I take them. The deal is done." She watched as the hysterical woman from last night played up to the headman, never letting the disgust show across her delicate features. Jordana knew Jamila's type...and knew this was the kind of woman who would always end up on top around the type of men she could play, with her beauty and feminine wiles.

Her attention turned toward her dark haired companion as he stepped forward with the paper work, holding it out to Howard, "I would feel obliged if you signed these two receipts, sir. Furthermore, I would like to encourage you to leave the house by the weekend, so that the restoration procedures can commence as soon as possible. The outstanding payment will have been transferred to your account by then. I take it you agree on this and are thoroughly satisfied with the transaction. I hope you'll do us the honour of coming to our official opening." Jordana only blinked as the other vampire snatched the papers and read over them. She no longer had any part of the arrangements, and only waited patiently for them to be over.

The hint of a smirk curved her lips, as Jordana's gaze swept over Bastien. Yes, she was waiting patiently for her prize at the end of the business.

ooo

Sebastien gracefully caught the proffered receipts and checked the signature with a short glance. Then he looked at Maynard again, but remained silent. He could sense that the vampire was acting against his will and trying to make the best of his miserable situation, but there was nothing they could do about it, and pity was not one of Sebastien's principal talents. Hence, he gave a last polite nod, folded the papers meticulously and put them back into his jacket. Then he took a step back so that he almost leaned into his car.

The transaction was finally concluded, and the house belonged to them. He allowed himself to stand a trifle more relaxed than before, watching the whole gang go back to their cars, together with the newly acquired servants; even Howard did not want to retreat into the house. It was strange to see how eager they were to leave the place, and Sebastien wondered once again what it was that made them sell this exquisite site for such a lousy sum. Well, Juan had assured him that everything would be all right, and he was forced to believe it. Within minutes, the grounds were deserted, and only he and Jordana were left standing there, the dust settling around them. He leaned back, rested his elbows on the car top and looked up.

The roof looked still quite satisfactory. The façade, though, had to go: it had been repainted in a greyish yellow that already started to peel off at places, and was overall dreadful. Juan had promised that they would get the original building plans, and then they would rebuild the whole thing just like it was supposed to look. And whatever it was that had made Howard and his people leave… Well, he and Juan had agreed on that. They were both quite sure whatever kind of 'ghosts' there were, they would surely come to an agreement with them. And if they were really lucky, those 'ghosts' would even help them with the construction work. For the first time since they had started negotiating with Howard, he wondered whether his father was right.

Feeling that Jordana was watching him, Sebastien pulled himself out of his cogitation and straightened up, squaring his shoulders and brushing the dust off his lapels. "I think we can leave now." He stroked the car top with his fingers, rubbing dust between his fingertips before turning to look at her. "You… do want to get back to the hotel, do you? It would be much more pleasurable to look around the premises once the gardens have been rebuilt." He made a vacillating step towards her, then stopped once more, remembering just in time that the honour to show Jordana the future establishment was his father's due, anyway.

And there it was again: the little sensation that this was iniquitous. Juan would grow tired of her sooner or later, Sebastien was convinced of that. It had always been that way. He corrected himself: It had not always been that way, in fact, Juan could be, against all assumptions, incredibly faithful in his own twisted way, but this time Sebastien just hoped he would make an exception. He looked at the blonde, his eyes glowing with dark fervour. Right now, he would have liked to tell her that, whatever happened, he would be there for her. He would have liked to tell her quite an astounding lot of things. But all this, of course, had to remain unsaid.

ooo

Leaning comfortably against the red TransAm, Jordana watched the interaction between the vampire Howard had on a leash, and Sebastien. It appeared all was settled as the dark haired man folded the papers precisely and slid them into his coat pocket. Her attention then slipped to the members of the gang, now hurriedly exiting the house and grounds, until only the far off sound of their vehicles could be heard down the drive.

Jordana returned her gaze to Bastien, watching him silently inspect the building. But she knew his mind most certainly was busy, planning, and gauging how long until it could be habitable. It was during this time, she realized she didn't even know why Juan had purchased the residence. The only thing she knew for certain was he wasn't going to use it as a haven. The girl's lips parted to speak, but her companion beat her to it, "I think we can leave now….You… do want to get back to the hotel, do you? It would be much more pleasurable to look around the premises once the gardens have been rebuilt." His fingers played in the grime that coated the Jag as he spoke, but then he took a halting step forward.

Figuring this was as close to taking the lead as he would, Jordana walked slowly toward the man, stopping only when she stood in front of him. "Here…the hotel…I don't care where we are," Shapely hands were laid flat against his chest, moving up the front of his jacket, as she talked. Jordana's gaze fluttered up, noticing the hint of fire burning in Bastien's eyes, and she smiled up at him. "We are, after all, alone." With a stroke of daring, she leaned up brushing her lips against Sebastien's. "Tell me where you want to go…what you want to do." Jordana was of the opinion that Sebastien didn't do what he wanted very often, letting duty take charge of everything else.

ooo

Although they had done so before, kissing was a concept Sebastien would never really become familiar with. Before his Embrace, he had never comprehended the advantages physical contact could bring about, and later he did not grasp the importance of it, anyway. The diminutive and fairly affective interludes between him and his father were the only exceptions, and they of course derived from their singular affiliation only, and the necessity to show others which way the wind was blowing. Thus, he did not actually stop Jordana, but he did not reply the kiss, either.

The contact of her hands, though, was different. He still could not get used to it, and it always caused a multitude of sensations, predominantly inside of him… Presently, and to his utter surprise, it even made him long for more. Without changing his countenance, he leaned into the touch, and once more it felt as if Jordana's hands were leaving burning trails wherever they slid. She was perfectly right; they were in fact alone. And yet, he could not divest himself of the feeling that someone – or something – was watching them. Narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized the house again. It seemed as if the house was staring back.

When Sebastien started to speak, he realized that his otherwise smooth tone of voice had changed to a certain degree. It sounded more suave now, shaped by the heat of the moment. "I would not like anything less than contradict you, yet I prefer to go back to the hotel." He seized her hands, holding them for a moment, then carefully, almost shyly held them to his face to inhale the scent of her before letting them go. The moment his vision was clear again he looked up sharply and for a moment discerned a grey shape behind one of the clouded windowpanes. However, Sebastien was too trained to conceal his emotions, so that his expression (apart from the glow in his eyes that had been there before) did not show any change at all.

"I hope you understand," he heard himself say, "that I prefer my own quarters to this place here. What is more, we can have a… refreshment there." With this, he opened the car door. While turning around to Jordana once more, he cast another quick glance at the house. The greyish shape was gone. He would have to talk about it with Juan the next night, but tonight the business was completed and they in fact had some leisure time. Looking at the blonde, he ventured another faint smile and even allowed it to turn into a snare. "This time I will drive first…" he said, "… unless you manage to catch me." Spurred by his own words, he jumped into the car and drove away.

ooo

Breaking away from the kiss with a laugh, the blonde's hands remained where they were against her companion's chest. She'd known his reaction would be nonexistent, but when she felt the slight pressure of his body against her touch change, she was surprised. "I would not like anything less than contradict you, yet I prefer to go back to the hotel."

To Jordana's astonishment, Sebastien took her hands and brought them up to his face, then just as quickly let them go. She watched as he looked around, most likely assessing his new acquisition. "I hope you understand...that I prefer my own quarters to this place here. What is more, we can have a… refreshment there." Yes, she did understand, and besides it was a chance to see what he called his quarters. So, with a sly smile Jordana nodded. "Of course, I understand," She let her hands slip away. "This time I will drive first… unless you manage to catch me."

Chuckling the blonde watched as the dark haired vampire jumped into his car and took off down the drive. He only thought he was going to get the best of this, and well if he won the race back to the hotel...that was fine. It didn't mean she wasn't going to win tonight anyway. Jordana reached the door handle of the TransAm, but before opening the door, the strong scent of lavender wafted past her nose. Stopping, she looked around, and seeing nothing different from before, continued her movement, sliding behind the wheel. With her foot on the gas pedal the car fishtailed down the driveway, a red streak in the dark.

ooo

Sitting back, Juan looked at Maria and smiled. "Well… We'll have another eight years of silence now, my dear. Is that not wonderful?" She shook her head and set to work once more, to do whatever she had to do. He fell back onto the bed and stared at the phone, wondering whether Sebastien and Jordana were still at the hotel, and if he would make a fool of himself if he called now. He could have needed her company right now, and it gave him a pang of bad conscience that he had sent her to do his work instead.

Turning this around in his mind, Juan realized that he was also at least on the verge of falling in love. Oh yes, that was perfect. The ways of the heart were wondrous and cruel, even if said heart was not beating. He would enjoy the feeling as long as it lasted, bathe in self-pity for a while, carry on staring at the phone a little longer, and then probably call her; if she was there.

So… he would make a fool of himself after all, but it was worthwhile, and he certainly wanted to spend the next night with her. She would like to learn something about the Nosferatu, would she not, and he did not want to risk drinking the stuff without her safely by his side. He frowned. Did he really think like that? He had totally forgotten about Sebastien for a moment. But that was exactly what he wanted: Jordana by his side. Sebastien had other, more important things to do, he was pretty sure of that; and if not, he would find some.

ooo

It was a silent night, and there could hardly be something more pathetic than a bored Jacques Lavalle. He put down the phone after talking to Liberty and remained lying there for a while, staring at the ceiling. Then he got up and listened to some Rachmaninov, which did not have the desired effect, as it even darkened his mood and at the same time showed him that he was plainly unable to move as gracefully as he was used to move so long as his skin was not where it belonged.

Without switching off the music, he stopped in front of one of the pictures and froze, completely caught up in the sight. This would happen to him every now and then ever since he had killed Francine, and he was powerless against the impact of art; especially if this special kind of art reminded him of the past night. After quite some time, the sloshing of a floor cloth shook him out of his dreams, and when Maria passed busily scrubbing the floor all around the carpet, he shouted at her that she had done so before and there was no need to do it again, although he was well aware that the scent of his blood still filled the room. They went on bickering in Spanish like an old couple for a while, until Maria made an unusually rude gesture and left him alone.

Now that the spell was broken and Juan not forced to stare at those damned pictures any more, he took up his original position on the bed again. He felt ugly, awkward and miserable, he half hoped that Fontaigne would return to finally deliver him from his misery, but fortunately this had never before been the case, and she would not start changing this time. That was the whole point of the game, was it not, to torture him for what he had done, and then leave him alone without redemption. Strange enough, he had come to really like what she did, but the consequences were nevertheless ever so annoying. He gave a growl of impatience that was answered by Maria with a soft chuckle, snarled at her, and then fell silent again.

The city was lying to his feet, he could see the lights and movements, sense the life down there, smell the summer breeze through the joints, and he longed to go out and hunt. But not tonight, not as long as he looked like this. Not even a call from his sire would have made him go out looking like this; well, not that Javier would ever call him. He felt that this situation was close enough to drive him insane, more than before, and he put it down to his jealousy. It would be a short drive, anyway. Of course he had brought it upon himself, but he could never have got rid of Fontaigne. She was like a demonic avalanche.

Looking out of the window front while still lying on his back, Juan moved his arms in front of his face and inspected the injuries for the nth time. Now that the wounds were completely healed, they simply looked disgusting, even the hands were affected. He dearly hoped that Gary would be finished with the potion by the end of the night, and although he knew that taking it would not be anything close to pleasant, he was willing to go through whatever it took to look like his smooth self again. Groping for the telephone, he sighed and recalled Gary's number, and after another moment's hesitation, he called the Nosferatu for a second time.

ooo

Gary was holding a cell phone to his wart-covered ear. When his two visitors entered, he pointed at it and waved at Frederick. "Hello, Juan," he said slowly. "I suppose you want an update. I am finished, and I can have the vial brought to you at your earliest convenience."

ooo

'Hello, Juan, I suppose you want an update. I am finished, and I can have the vial brought to you at your earliest convenience.'

Gary's deep and guttural voice rang out of the receiver like the gurgling of an extremely old mountain brook. Strangely enough, it had a comforting effect on Juan. He leaned back, stretched and smiled before answering, "_Al loro_. I readily acknowledge my indebtedness to you for all you have done – as soon as your potion lives up to my expectations, so to say, uh huhuh. I will be obliged if you sent your operative by the beginning of next night. I presume he will also tell me exactly how much indebted I will be."

ooo

"You presume correctly," Gary rumbled. "You will be pleased to know that it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Not that I would have use for such." His intonation did not change, so it was impossible to tell if he was telling a joke or simply being literal.

ooo

They exchanged another couple of minutiae, and then Juan hung up again, feeling relieved, yet a bit bored still. "Maria," he yelled over his shoulder, "What do you think? Should we order a delivery service? Just for tonight?" He turned round so that he could look at her frowning face. "Come on, don't be an aguafiestas. You have pizza, and I have the boy. If he is lucky, he will not even be my type, and I will let him go unharmed. Come on, pichoncín, let us do it, suelto de cuerpo."

He knew she would turn him down, and she did. Maria was his conscience. He could easily refuse to go along with her, of course, but this would be much too boring. Juan hated the concept of power, at least the obvious one. To have power did not imply to use it constantly; only idiots or extremely boring people did that. Moreover, she was right: harming one of the citizens in his haven would put too much at stake, even for him, and it endangered the Masquerade, too. As if he hadn't known. "Yes, Maria, you are perfectly right," he said, raising his hands in mock defence, but his voice sounded dispassionate. "I will behave. I will be patient. I have to pay the prize for being naughty, and I have all the time in the world."

Suddenly feeling very tired, he decided to call it an early night and retreated into the lower compartment of his bed. "If you still like to call a pizza, feel free," he said before pulling the lid over his head. After a moment, the cover opened once more, a scarred hand threw the elevator key up into the air, and then the lid slammed shut again. Maria caught the key long before it would have hit the floor, sat down on the bed and sighed.

ooo

After making sure that the TransAm was following his car, Sebastien directed his attention towards the sparse night traffic, however he could not keep his thoughts from going astray every now and then. The ghost matter was highly annoying, because it unquestionably was no easy task to drive an entire gang of vampires out of a house like this one, and even compel them to vend at such a ridiculously low price. Sebastien had no experience with ghosts whatsoever, and he wondered whether his father really knew what he was talking about when he said that he was able to settle the affair. Of course, the Gypsy Lore was full of mysteries, and Juan had an astounding insight, and he had negotiated with other… things too in the past. But ghosts…

Setting the thought of his father aside for the present, Sebastien searched his fresh and new emotional horizon for any remarkable changes. He had never before experienced anything close to anticipation; hence he misinterpreted the sensation for a belated feeling of satisfaction about the successful transaction. What he could discern, though, was also a little and quite distracting excitement whenever he visualized Jordana. He saw Juan's car in the rear window and accelerated a bit, but she seemed tired of racing, thus he kept on driving in front with the reassuring feeling that she was close behind.

When they arrived at the hotel, he could see that the lights were off in most rooms; only the car park and the entrance were bathed in a yellowish light, but the flickering blue close to one window hinted at the calming fact that the four servants (or at least some of them) had decided to spend a quiet evening in front of the TV set. Although the car park was deserted, Sebastien manoeuvred the Jaguar exactly into one of the booths. He waited until the TransAm came to a sweeping halt nearby, waited a moment for the dust to settle, then got out in order to walk by Jordana's side once again, wondering why the feeling of breeziness he had detected earlier did not diminish. Quite the reverse: it increased considerably the closer they got.

Timothy greeted them over the desk with a faint smile on his lips that showed he was happy with his new condition, and he handed Sebastien the key, a faint glow of hope in his eyes that he would be rewarded again later. At the present, though, Sebastien had quite different things on his mind, and ignoring him completely, strode upstairs, pulling Jordana with him with an unfamiliar audacity.

The room he temporarily called his own was no other than the one Jordana and Juan had been spending their first hours in, together with Raphael. It looked more orderly then it had done then, the bed had been made with meticulous care, and there was no personal touch at all indicating that Sebastien had already been staying here for almost a week. Even the bathroom looked spotless, although the shower game Jordana and Juan had been playing a few nights ago was not by a long shot the only time when it came to use.

This kind of room was what he usually called his home, and what had in fact been his home for the better part of his existence. Of course he spent the day somewhere else, but Liberty, Timothy and himself only knew that. He would do quite a lot of things just to please Jordana, but he would certainly not have the effrontery to tell her about the travel coffin in the cellar. Not that he liked to spend his day among rugs and boxes, indeed. Apart from the Fontaigne incident, Jordana's presence had been the only reason why he had not spent the day by his father's side, like he used to do, but instead in this provisional object. He dearly hoped that he would manage to find an excuse to spend the next day alone before he would be forced to disclose the disgraceful truth.

ooo

Following the Jag more sedately then the first time around, Jordana let Sebastien stay in the lead, unchallenged. And when they pulled into the parking lot, she could see it was late in the human sense, as the lights had been dimmed for those who slept. Not that it was any concern, as she had no trouble seeing through the dark, almost as if it were full daylight. Jordana let the car roll into the empty spot beside Bastien, and cut the engine, pulling the parking brake, and opening the door.

As she looked up from her seat, Jordana saw Bastien was already walking toward her. And with a smile for her companion, she got out moving gracefully by his side when they entered the lobby. The pair stopped at the front desk, greeted by Timothy, as Sebastien took his room key, Jordana examined the young servant's face. Satisfied with what she saw, the blonde gave him a kind word, and a smile, noticing her companion all but ignored him. However, she didn't have time to say anything, as Bastien, in an uncharacteristic show of taking control pulled her along.

The hint of smile, first was for Bastien's slight show of forcefulness, then as they entered the room, for recognizing it. "Nice room," Jordana chuckled, gracefully sliding onto the settee, leaving room for her companion to join her if he wished. "Have you been staying here long?" She couldn't help wonder if it had been Bastien's before her little romp the other night, or if he'd taken it afterward. "So, Bastien...what shall we do to entertain ourselves?" A slender hand smoothed over the empty space, encouraging him to sit. He wasn't an easy man to seduce... one wrong word or gesture, and he might run the other way... in a manner of speaking.

ooo

Sebastien remembered only too well that he had cleared the room for his father and her three nights ago, shortly after he had met Jordana for the first time; but after all, it was only a room. When it came to material things not connected with profit, Sebastien could be the world champion of ignorance. He did not ignore, however, that Jordana was sitting down on the settee, for he would have expected her to sit down on the bed.

The unusual state he was in right now did not actually bring about the need to be seduced. In fact, he had made up his mind that she was the one to be loved, somehow, although he did not exactly know how to manage such an extraordinary task, and his mind was also set that he had to be perfect in doing so. This, of course, involved some obligingness on her part, and no sitting down on the settee.

When she did not act the way he had expected her to act, he closed the door and remained standing in the middle of the room for a moment, uncertain what to do. "I have been staying at this hotel for five nights, this being the sixth, Miss Jordana." His eyes flickered from her to the bed while he endeavoured to restructure his plans. Then, with quite an effort, he said, "I deduced from our prior conversation that we have come here to resume our activities of last night…" He took off his jacket, put it on a hanger and into the wardrobe, and sat down on the bed again. The idea of a tête-à-tête on a settee was too strange for him altogether. His eyes, though, were fixed on Jordana's hand gracefully moving over the cover, as if the movement hypnotized him.

Just when he was about to invite her to sit by his side, someone knocked without. Sebastien, who had started to take off his tie, straightened up immediately. "Come in." The door slowly opened, and Liberty slipped inside, her posture showing that she was well aware that she was intruding. She nevertheless flashed Jordana the familiar smile before talking to Sebastien in a soft voice.

"I'm so sorry to disturb, but he asked me to," she said. "Your father called earlier this night. He wanted me to tell you about it, no matter when or how you come home, because he did not want to call again…" She threw Jordana a quick glance before continuing, "He said he wants to meet the two of you in his apartment tomorrow, and having not heard of you yet, he hopes the transaction went well." There was a trace of reproach in her voice, with the intention to make it quite clear how Juan had said the latter.

Sebastien acknowledged the information with a nod, and with a rustle of her negligee, Liberty hastily tiptoed out of the room again. As soon as the door shut behind his servant, Sebastien turned to talk to Jordana, totally ignoring what had just happened, "Would you prefer to stay seated over there, Miss Jordana? Or would you consider joining me?"

He suddenly yearned to move into the new house as soon as possible and finally furnish his own Elysium, where he would be unmolested, could go about his business, exist without needing to justify himself to anybody, and stay with Jordana as long as he wanted. He knew that this was a dream, but it was a sweet dream, and right now he wanted to have it. He also knew that right now, it showed in his eyes as well as in his voice. "We might only have this one night left."

ooo

Watching her companion shut the door, then hesitate, Jordana almost got the impression he hadn't wanted her to pick the seat she had. But then, no, Sebastien wouldn't care where she sat, the blonde told herself. And she hadn't wanted to appear too eager by choosing the bed, remembering how touchy the man had been last night at her house.

"I have been staying at this hotel for five nights, this being the sixth, Miss Jordana...I deduced from our prior conversation that we have come here to resume our activities of last night…" A shapely eyebrow rose in surprise at his words, then watched with amusement as Bastien moved to the closet to hang his coat. Her gaze following as he took a spot on the bed.

And as Jordana chose the moment to speak, a knock at the door interrupted. Turning as the door opened, Jordana watched Liberty slip into the room. "I'm so sorry to disturb, but he asked me to… Your father called earlier this night. He wanted me to tell you about it, no matter when or how you come home, because he did not want to call again...He said he wants to meet the two of you in his apartment tomorrow, and having not heard of you yet, he hopes the transaction went well."

The blonde had not expected this, and a sharp point of disappointment darted through her. Knowing what little she did of Sebastien, Jordana knew whatever he had planned would be put aside to attend to duty. She watched Liberty disappear, and the door shut with a soft thump. And as Bastien turned, she steeled herself for what he surely was going to say. "Would you prefer to stay seated over there, Miss Jordana? Or would you consider joining me?"

And that had not been it.

Jordana stared at her companion, surprised into silence. "We might only have this one night left." She found herself nodding her head, "I...I didn't expect this..." Shaking herself out of the shock, the girl stood, "Yes...I'll join you." It was hard to finesse the situation when the rug had just been pulled out from under your feet. And the girl full of a thousand witty responses couldn't think of a one. She sat down beside the dark haired man, turning toward him, "Are you sure there isn't anything you have to do...I mean I hope there isn't, but..." The words sounded stupid even to her own ears, and she let them trail off, as she gazed at her companion.

ooo

The only business Sebastien had ever been involved in was the organizing and leading of établissements (as in 'whorehouses'), in other words: he had always been the administrative main cogwheel in a machinery of love, more or less mortal, all of which had always been under the control and in the loving hands of his father, Juan. This occupation included, of course, a profound knowledge of the art of lovemaking, although Sebastien had never comprehended its purpose. Hence, he doubtlessly was a master, from a purely technical point of view, yet he utterly lacked any kind of artfulness, unless you call inflexibility style. This was, of course, also due to his lack of experience in the field of inter-human (or rather, inter-Vampire) relations per se, i.e. love.

The consequences as such were remarkable: now that he had finally found an object of astoundingly true affection and admiration, he endeavoured to outclass himself. Thus, he functioned as perfectly as he had ever done in this special field of activity without showing consideration for Jordana's immediate reactions or desires, strange as it may seem. When her voice subsided to a mutter, he simply decided that he should suit the action to the words and consequently started undressing himself, and her, all in the same technically brilliant but somewhat mechanical manner; he even folded each garment and carefully put it aside. All the while, he never took his eyes off her, which made the whole act a bit more complicated and almost pathetic.

This was all he was capable of. If it had not been Sebastien, one might have observed that he poured all his love into his action. But because it was he, after all, there was no actual love to be seen, or felt. What is more, he mistook the continuous change of positions for affectionate playfulness (he had watched this hundreds of times) and thus missed the whole significance, so that at this point the gentle reader might wonder what Sebastien's lady could do to change the quite miserable or at least unsatisfactory state, which, in fact, they both were in.

ooo

Jordana's gaze followed each motion, each garment pulled away, and folded, to be set aside carefully. She knew Sebastien's eyes hadn't wavered away from her face, and so the first twitch of her lips was caught in mid-action. The blonde tried to keep the growing amusement hidden, but as more clothing was folded away, in Bastien's own cautious way she couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped. Had it been anyone but Bastien, Jordana might have taken the lack of feeling as an insult, but she knew he was trying.

Soon, however, after watching him fold up another garment, the blonde couldn't take anymore and in a fit of suppressed laughter, she flopped backwards onto the bed. Tears were rolling out of the corners of her closed eyes, but when she opened them the look on his face led to another round. In a few minutes though, mostly because Bastien didn't join in, Jordana sat back up, wiping her face. "Bastien...don't you find it at least a little bit funny...to be concerned about our clothes...when we should be ripping them from each others' bodies?"

As she spoke Jordana crawled across the bed on her knees, stopping in front of Sebastien. Her eyes met his, and she gave him a sly little smile. Grabbing her companion by the shoulders, she pulled him off balance, and down with her. Jordana had planned on letting Bastien have the control tonight, but decided by the time he got around to it, dawn would be approaching. "Now, isn't this better?" she asked rolling over on top of him, her weight, slight as it was, pinning the man to the bed.

ooo

It was much better. In fact, it was more enhanced than Sebastien would have dreamed of. He had no idea why Jordana started laughing, even after she explained. There was no need to spoil clothes for this matter. However, he did grasp the sense of her action when she jumped on top of him. Never before had he been treated like this - with the exception of the multifarious situations in which an assault was meant as a show of aggression and nothing else, and he had always equally dealt with whosoever dared lay a finger on him, regardless of the assailant's social position or sexual category. But this time, although he involuntarily snarled first, he knew that the attack was a friendly one, in a manner of speaking, and he was surprised to discover that his body already seemed to be prepared, even without his contribution.

He opened his mouth to answer, but the words failed him. As he had no former experience with speechlessness, nor with the situation as such, he was in fact left quite defenceless, for his manners forbade any combat. And had her hands already evoked surprisingly strong sensations of heat wherever they touched him, the feel of Jordana moving on top of him, the length of her delicate body pressed against his was more than he could bear. They had touched like this before, and yet the effect was totally new. Sebastien closed his eyes and let out one single and altogether unearthly moan.

When he opened his eyes again, the dark fire was shining in them, but with an intensity that exceeded the passion that it had shown the night before. No rebooting now, to hell with control, to hell with the whole system – thoughts like these raced through his perplexed mind, and this time he wanted to let them prevail. They might only have this one night, and just for once Sebastien wanted to know how it felt to act on the cave man part of his brain; it was an astounding discovery that he had one, in the end. Once more he tried to talk, and this time he realized with amazement that, although he did manage to speak, his voice sounded utterly unfamiliar. He almost purred.

"Lead me, Miss Jordana," he said. "Show me the way." Looking up into her eyes, he gave the impression of being confused, almost afraid, in spite of his agitation, like a schoolboy who was about to do something outrageous and forbidden. "Teach me to be."

ooo

Jordana propped her chin up on her folded forearms, as she watched the expressions change on Sebastien's face. She expected the cold, all business attitude that was so much a part of her companion, that when he spoke at first the blonde just looked at him. "Lead me, Miss Jordana, Show me the way." He met her eyes, and the young vampire could see the conflict in them. "Teach me to be." But behind the confusion, she also saw determination.

Suddenly the night went from teasing to serious, but with the ease of a woman who's comfortable in her own skin...with maybe some streetwise arrogance thrown in, Jordana smiled down at Bastien. "Do you trust me?" she asked already knowing the answer, because Bastien would never have opened up as much as he had if he didn't. At his nod, she continued, "Good, then close your eyes." When he complied, the blonde leaned in kissing along his collarbone.

The blonde could be patient when it was warranted, and now she teased her captive companion for several minutes, making him lay still as her lips traced a trail across his skin. "Relax, Bastien..." she whispered, "give me this one night." She didn't believe for a minute that it was all she was going to get, but he did.

* * *

_To be continued... _


	15. Chapter 15

**Nights of Surprises**

by MackoM and dalpal

_For disclaimer see chapter 1 _

* * *

Chapter 15

When he felt her lips tracing their way down his body, crude images of a loveless past raced through his mind, trying to push to the front and to forcefully keep him from experiencing what he was indeed determined to enjoy this single time. Sebastien kept his eyes closed in spite of the danger this action could normally bring about. Strange enough, he realized that in the extraordinary state he was in, his heightened senses could receive the essence of Jordana's intentions nonetheless, and although she radiated an odd kind of arrogant impishness, there was no hidden danger.

Nevertheless, he could not completely unwind yet, of course, but he did his best to remain motionless in any case. Again, thoughts of guilt and expiation endeavoured to haunt his mind, but he put them aside, knowing they were not his own. Then, when he realized what Jordana was about to do, and the fact that it were her lips that touched him, it was suddenly quite easy to think of nothing else. It was in fact almost impossible to even try to think, and instead Sebastien was forced to focus on one single and very personal subject.

Maybe it was due to his unusual 'hereditary factors' or due to Jordana's aptitude in the art of love, that out of a sudden Sebastien's mind did not cling to facts any more, but instead broke free, feeling frivolous and easy and gaudy. He stretched like a cat under her, feeling the rivulets of passion roll down his spine, and for the first time in his existence he acted purely driven by instinct.

Consequently something else happened, equally unusual, but not as lucid as the former development: the dark waves that had once been lurking above engulfed him now, driving him onward with a sinister urge to fight, to control and to win. After quite some time and a blur of colours and sounds, both dark, strange and wondrous, he realized that Jordana was underneath him, and he could not tell when and how this had happened, nor what exactly had been going on. He could tell, though, that he was feeling extraordinarily good, he could taste her blood on his lips, and this time his smile was genuine as he looked down at her like a beast of prey after a successful hunt.

ooo

Things had taken an upswing, as Jordana felt Sebastien's tight control slipping. Then suddenly everything had moved in a blur of sensation, in which the blonde urged her companion on, enjoying his masterful attention, when he finally took matters out of her hands, so to speak, and into his own.

Jordana gazed up as Bastien pulled his head away, the smile on his bloody lips was that of a hunter, rather than the neutral, bland business one he normally wore. The bite itself had come as a surprise, and not an unpleasant one at that, and the young vampire had to fight her own desire not to do the same to him. "I don't think I need to teach you anything, Bastien," she purred, stretching her body under his. She liked the smile he wore, and pulled his face back down to hers for a lingering kiss, tasting the blood along with his own flavour.

Rolling them both over, Jordana gave her own version of a feral smile as she sat on Sebastien. "In fact, I really like this hidden side of you...and I might not let you go... how would you like to be my love slave?" she teased, laughing, as she leaned down nibbling on his ear.

ooo

He was too surprised about this dark side of him that Jordana had once again called to life to react when she pulled his head down to kiss him – other than to let her do so and enjoy herself. The touch of her lips on his mouth was bearable, almost pleasant, but as his mouth was seemingly interested in the act of nourishment only, he did not feel like kissing her back. Instead, he could not keep from recalling Javier's words, and this time he realized that the old man had been completely right. There were indeed things hidden inside of Sebastien's mind that should remain concealed. But now they were on the loose.

When Jordana rolled him over, Sebastien did not immediately defend himself. All in all, it was an entirely new territory he had set his foot upon, and he still treaded carefully. The word 'love slave', though, sufficiently accelerated the process of adaptation. After all, Sebastien had no sense of humour, he had been involved in servant trade too extensively to make an exception now, and therefore he took Jordana's words quite literally. What is more, the state he was in, he could not endure her on top of him, at any rate. Thus, he put up a fight, trying to gain the upper hand.

He could not possibly know that this was very much to Jordana's liking, and right now he would not have cared what she liked, anyway. To hell with Javier's warnings; this was better. The baleful needs, suppressed for decades and now breaking free, one by one, were driving him on. With the dark shadows sinking over his vision once more, Sebastien fought like a hungry predator, snarling and baring his teeth, his canines clashing against hers whenever she tried to kiss him.

And it was a stroke of good fortune that Jordana was no mortal, because this time there was no holding back. Ignorant of what he was doing, Sebastien vented his feelings on her, now that he finally had them back. To him, it was not a game any more: He momentarily forgot who he was. He forgot who she was. He simply was, and he was a killer.

ooo

If Jordana was surprised by Sebastien's reaction, she didn't let it show. Instead she pushed him onward into losing himself in the moment. She, personally didn't think it was healthy to never let a bit of the beast out to play. And Bastien had had a tighter control than any other vampire she'd yet met.

As he rolled them back over, snarling every time she tried to kiss him, the blonde would almost have sworn he had hot blood running through his veins, instead of the cool hunter she knew he really was. She laughed, letting his dark nature take over, revelling in the wild ride. The one thing that never crossed her mind was to be afraid that he might go too far… that he might do the unthinkable and kill her in his fit of dark passion.

The young vampire forgot about everything else. Juan, Marie, Howard... Rafe. The only person that was in her thoughts, in her mind, was Bastien. And in his frenzy, she was sure he wasn't thinking of his duties. Well, none other than the one he was performing, as their bodies moved together.

ooo

Amidst an agreeable slumber, as similar to mortal sleep as ever possible, Juan woke up, his eyes snapping open. He had intended to spend the rest of the night in his box-like bed and indulge in the glorious melancholy that had crept over him due to his mutilated exterior, until the day's stupor would embrace him and carry him to the next evening. Now, however, his plans seemed to come to a sudden change. Although there was no real telepathic contact possible between himself and his son, of course, there did exist some strange connection, most familiar to all who experienced anything like family ties in their lives, and enforced by the bond between them.

If Juan's feelings were not very much mistaken, Sebastien was as close to rage as the boy could get. Juan frowned, pushed the lid aside and sat up. It was highly improbable, really, but not impossible that Sebastien might finally find his way to frenzy, although his father wondered what on earth would drive him there. The feeling, starting deep down in his leftover guts and spreading rapidly over the rest of his body was strong enough to be disquieting. "Maria," Juan yelled, trying to fight down the rising panic. "Did I miss anything? A phone call or the like?" But Maria, hastily putting aside an emptied pizza box and a well-thumbed newspaper, answered in the negative.

After another moment of hesitation and ascertaining that the feeling was still with him and in fact increasing, Juan got out of bed, groped for his cell phone and dialled while walking to his wardrobe. He was sure that Sebastien was together with Jordana, probably at the hotel, and whatever they were doing, frenzy or even anything connected with rage should not be part of the game. If he was right, however, this implied that Jordana was in danger, supernatural powers or not; she was just too young and inexperienced for things like these. His brows knitted, he pulled a black roll neck pullover over his leather catsuit, slipped into the boots with his bare feet, and when Maria took a breath to ask something, he shook his head imperiously, making her fall silent. The ringing tone was annoyingly loud in his sensitive ears; nevertheless he would wait until someone – until anyone answered.

Juan caught the elevator key on his way to the door, and kept listening to the phone while the car went downstairs. When he finally heard "The number you've dialled…" he hung up, frowning even more. It had never happened before that Sebastien would not answer his phone. Without slowing down, he punched in Liberty's number and opened the door to his car. He heard her sleepy voice when he pulled out into the sparse night traffic and interrupted her, "Listen, honey. Check on my son immediately, put a spoke in his wheel if necessary, whatever the cost. I will be with you in a couple of minutes." He tossed the phone aside and accelerated, making a silent prayer that he would not be too late.

ooo

Sebastien did indeed lose himself in the moment. He lost himself, or rather his bounds, so much that the next time their mouths met, he was not content with the comparatively harmless meddling of canines, but he gave in to the strong urge to draw blood again. This was most pleasurable, all the more because Jordana seemed to like it, too. Of course, Sebastien was not aware of anything around him, either, or of the immediate danger due to the things that were going on inside of him. It was like a maelstrom of passion, driving him from one thing to the other, until plunging his teeth into her throat was as natural as everything else had been beforehand.

He did hear the phone, but the shrill and monotonous ringing tone reached his ear in a strange and twisted fashion, spurring him on even more. There was no holding back now, and although his senses were as clear as ever, the situation itself lost any shade of realism. He also realized that Jordana's way to react changed in colour to some degree, but it did not really reach his consciousness. All those decades of tranquillity, all the things he had to be devoid of, made him focus his emotions on this one act of fusion, love and hate, nearness, penetration and saturation merging. It was meant to go on forever.

When Liberty heard the tone of Juan's voice, it was all she needed to make her go at high speed. As she was one of Sebastien's oldest servants, her speed was in fact very high. She plunged down the receiver and rushed over to her master's room with superhuman speed, only to find out that she was just in time. There was not much she could do, for apart from her limited powers, she had the usual inbuilt inhibition to do anything that could harm him. To hit him over the head with something would not have done the job, anyway. Hence, the only thing left was to use the moment of surprise and try to get him away from Jordana by holding on and shouting. As soon as this was successful, as soon as he was only slightly distracted, at least, the young Vampire would probably find a way to defend herself.

ooo

It was like everything was sliding down a long, narrow dark tunnel. Jordana's mind stopped working and the only thing in her universe at the moment was Bastien. When his sharp teeth plunged into her throat, the blonde arched, an alarm bell in her mind quickly wiped away as the pleasure clouded any thought. The ring of the phone didn't even register in a mind that was totally involved in what her companion was doing.

Jordana didn't know the possibility of her life slipping away, was a growing reality, as Bastien continued to feed from her. So lost in passion with a partner she trusted, she willingly, urged him onward. And by the time she felt herself weakening, it was too late to pull back. Sebastien was by far the stronger, as he was older, and now it wasn't even a contest. "Bastien... please," she breathed, trying to get his attention. "You have to... stop... now…"

Concentrating on her companion, the blonde didn't hear the door open, or notice Liberty in the room with them. All she knew was she'd pushed Bastien too far, and now she was going to pay for it. Pale arms that had been holding the man close were now flailing helplessly against his body, trying to push him back.

ooo

As soon as she joined them, Liberty grew aware that this was not the usual love play and Juan had been right. She tried to pull Sebastien away from his lover, and when this had no effect, she hit his back with her fists, shouting at him. It was only her voice, though, grown familiar over the decades, that finally reached his consciousness. He stopped without actually pulling back, snarling softly into the wound he had inflicted, like a predator that had been disturbed feeding and now considered fighting over his prey. When Liberty did not stop shouting and hitting, he finally turned his head, still holding fast to Jordana's arms, and hissed at the servant, so that she started back in revulsion and awe until she came to cower in a corner. Never before had she seen her master behave like this. He had always been predictable; until now.

Sebastien was annoyed. She was highly distracting; somehow her yelling made the nice and simple world of gloom in which he was travelling so much more complicated and tiresomely realistic, but not enough to shake him out of the state he was in. Turning his attention towards Jordana once more, he did not seem to recognize her. All he could see was a world full of strange shadows and wonderful colours, with a tendency to dark red, in which she was bathing, quite nicely, like a work of art. The look in his eyes had changed, and he was ready to have another go.

ooo

Juan soon reached the little hotel's parking lot and came to a sweeping halt, the TransAm's tyres digging into the gravel with a well-padded munching sound. The feeling of immediate danger that had been increasing while he was driving made him get out hurriedly, driven by a certain urgency and the subtle fear that his favourite childe was about to finally crack up.

There was neither need nor time to use the front entrance. The tiny balconies adorning the little hotel around the second floor were inviting, and like many vampires, Juan could look back onto a fine career as a cat burglar. He climbed up onto the first landing with ease, although the leather trousers sticking to the muscle tissue on his legs felt quite awkward. However, the wounds were already scarred enough for him to carry on without fear of them tearing open again. Instinct drew him to the right window, which immediately gave when he pushed it open.

The smell that hit his sensitive nostrils confirmed his fears. This was indeed the right room, and he was hopefully not too late. He jumped inside and strode towards the bed while scanning the room, taking in every detail. Liberty… sitting in a far corner, looking quite desperate; she had probably already tried her best, but had not succeeded. Jordana… she was still among the unliving, but severely harmed, by the look of it. Sebastien… hovering over her like a succubus, in a position he had never been in since he was a child, when one day Juan found him crouching like this while he was involved in executing a little fluffy animal with one of his strange killing apparatuses.

Without hesitating, Juan seized Sebastien by the shoulders and hauled him away from his prey, with a force that great that Sebastien hit the opposite wall, and staggering to his feet, remained there for a second, snarling, but already confused enough by the sudden interference not to attack his sire.

"You tend to the girl," Juan yelled at Liberty, shaking her out of her shock, then he strode in front of his son. "If you want to fight over your meal, my dear, you are welcome to do so now," he said.

Sebastien looked at him, his eyes still hazy, but there was already the first spark of recognition igniting, and the snarl was no more than an automatic reaction to the rapid change from a state of 'half-way to frenzy' back to a point of utter consternation. Unable to respond, he merely lifted his hands in a helpless gesture, then hung his head in despair. Juan looked at him for a moment, taking Sebastien's head in his hands and forcing him to look in his eyes. "This was close, hijito," Juan said, his voice disquietingly calm, and holding onto Sebastien's head pulled him into a half hug. Then he whispered into his son's ear, "_Permití que la cogieras. Si te atrevas dáñarla otra vez, ti mataré_."

ooo

After Liberty burst into the room, Jordana felt her presence, even if her companion didn't seem to notice. But it wasn't enough to pull the blonde out of the state of lethargy she was quickly falling into. Her eyes flickered around, as the young vampire tried to remember something important on the edge of her mind, but even that seemed to be too much of a bother, and the arms that had been pushing against Bastien lost their desire to fight.

For several minutes it seemed, she heard yelling, even catching a glimpse of the servant over Bastien's shoulder. And each time she almost grasped that elusive thought that kept trying to emerge from the pleasurable haze. But it was only when Sebastien reared up, that Jordana remembered she should be fighting for something. With a frown, she managed to get one arm in a defensive position before he came back at her. It was possibly the thing that gave the blonde enough time for Juan to climb the building, and come in through the window.

She barely noticed when Bastien was pulled roughly from her. But the sound of Juan's voice helped bring her back to her senses in minutes. Liberty was at Jordana's side, pulling the young girl into a sitting position. "M-my...fault.." Jordana croaked, when her brain began to function again. She took the offered wrist, Liberty held to her lips and drank. Eventually though, she released the servant, and let her gaze slide to the pair of men. Jordana was unsure what Juan intended to do, or how Bastien was going to react to this intrusion. "Juan..." She hated the way her voice came out wan, and weak, "Please... don't blame Sebastien. I-I started...this." After all she'd done to bring Bastien out of himself, Jordana was watching it all crumble before her eyes.

ooo

The moment he heard her voice, Juan let go of Sebastien and turned his attention towards Jordana. Pushing his son aside in one fluent motion as if he was a merely standing in the way and nothing to spend more than a thought on, he went to the bed and gracefully sat down by her side while Liberty hurriedly, albeit a bit shakily, made room for him.

On top of her pallor, Jordana looked positively dreadful, but simultaneously her appearance did comprise a certain bizarre etherealness that made her even more attractive. In addition it seemed as if she really wanted to take the blame for everything that had happened, a concept obviously inherent especially in the young ones. Juan could not help but cock an eyebrow in amusement about such a thorough and noble display of remorse, however the next moment his expression turned into one of concern and almost honest compassion.

"So," he said, taking her hand, "You wanted to play rough with the panther and then did not manage to close Pandora's box." His eyes flickered to Sebastien, but all the boy did was sulk in the corner where his sire had left him, already glazing over again, and probably cooling down even more than before as a result of shame and self-pity. Juan exhaled a silent laugh and shook his head, then turned to Jordana once more in order to scan her body for any other wounds. When he found the bite on her throat to be the only one, he kissed the hand he was still holding, and carefully putting it down by Jordana's side he bent over to touch the already closing wound with his lips and lick it clean.

He remained staying close to her ear for a moment, enjoying the mingled scents and tastes of her and his childe, and whispered in a melodious calming tone of voice, "Everything will be fine, _querida_, believe me. I will not harm Bastien, nor will I blame you for what you have done, for you were merely badly informed. But… should you want to play rough another time, I would be obliged if you preferred my presence to the boy's. I can assure you that I know better ways to give you what you want, without any persistent… uh huhuh, side effects. It is in fact my special field."

ooo

A fine tremor ran through the blonde's body, but she felt calmer as Juan sat down beside her taking Liberty's quickly vacated spot. Jordana didn't think she'd ever felt this weak...but if asked she wouldn't have changed what happened. Her gaze flickered over to Bastien, standing in the corner of the room, lost it seemed again in himself. She had been triumphant for a brief time, even if it had gone too far.

Her eyes moved back to the man at her side, seeing his apparent amusement as he laughed silently. Perhaps he was right, that she didn't know who she was playing with but Jordana had never been one to worry overly much. The connection of Juan holding her hand helped her stay in focus as he checked making sure there were no other wounds. And she didn't bother to quiet the sigh when he leaned in licking Bastien's bite.

Jordana relaxed against Juan as he spoke softly in her ear. It wasn't as if she had the strength to pull away, but it was also pleasurable. A hint of a smile even presented itself at his suggestion that he might be a better choice for rough games. I'm sure it is," her voice was still weak, but humor tinted the words, "after all your choice of games is what brought us to this." She hadn't forgotten Marie, and wanted to remind Juan of that fact. A long sigh escaped her bloodless lips, "I'm so tired...can we go home. Please, Juan," Jordana rubbed a cheek against his dark hair. Jordana worried about Sebastien, but for now she just wanted sleep. And if it was in Juan's arms, all the better.

ooo

Liberty ogled Sebastien before carefully approaching him. Never before had she seen him in such a condition, and she dearly wished she had stayed in this state of blissful ignorance. Deciding that it was safe enough to talk to him, she ventured a shy "Hi," displaying her best submissive smile. Sebastien gazed at her without raising his head, and the look in his eyes was so sinister and cold that she suppressed a shiver and ducked involuntarily.

She stepped closer, cautiously raising her hand to touch his face, but when he jerked back his head like a shying horse, she made a calming gesture and nodded sadly. This was it, then. The young Vampire woman Liberty was so fond of had probably acted to the best of her knowledge and belief, but by the look of it Jordana had destroyed something important, rather than done a good deed. Well, on the other hand it had always been best not to tangle with Sebastien, and the vampire girl had crossed a line that had certainly been crossed before. Liberty, as his oldest servant, knew that under Sebastien's hard shell there was no soft core, apart from a little leftover memory of an unhappy childhood. And his pride had been hurt.

"Please," she whispered, "It's all right. It's over now." She cocked her head and forced another smile. "You can come to my room, if you want. We could… yanno, talk about it." Now Sebastien lifted his head, his face motionless. "I appreciate your offer," he answered as austerely as ever, "But I feel no need to talk." He went past the bed, and after a short glance in the direction of his father and Jordana he made an imperious nod towards the door. Liberty hastened to follow his order, and they both left the room, with Sebastien stiffly walking in front of her. He knew that the last word had not been said about this fateful incident, but for the time being Juan seemed distracted. To watch his father tend to Jordana, however, exceeded his capabilities.

ooo

As soon as Sebastien and his servant had left, Juan discarded the matter for now and turned his attention to his young lover. She was gorgeous: young, impulsive, slightly anaemic and presently delightfully penitent. What made all this so much more interesting was the underlying feeling of triumph and defiance she radiated, qualities that showed that Jordana was not simply a street urchin who just happened along, but a woman capable of pride and style.

Her words confirmed his impression, and the slight sarcasm did not escape him. Of course, she was perfectly right: had he not chosen this time to play his little game with Marie Fontaigne, Sebastien would have fallen for her some time in the future. It would never appear to Juan, though, that he had to take any of the blame on himself. Things happened just the way they were supposed to happen, and the better part of them were sent to try us. She merely learned a lesson, and she did quite well; more than that, she had spared Juan a strategic scheme: Jordana was back in his arms, and Sebastien had shown that he was no true competitor.

When she mentioned the word 'home,' Juan felt a warm shiver run through his lean body. She made it sound so real, as if anything of the like could truly exist for him. "Yes, _corazoncito_," he answered, helping her up. "We will go home, but you will stand on your own pretty feet."

He could easily carry her, but he preferred Jordana to walk out of here by his side, so that all the servants would see her (there was no doubt that the turmoil had roused the whole house). The tall blonde did not even have a reputation to lose yet. In fact, she had to obtain her appropriate status first of all, but Juan had further-reaching plans involving a mutual future and a more or less constant place by his side. He knew that nothing lasts forever, but all that counted was the idea that it bloody well could.

ooo

From the bed, Jordana didn't need to lift her gaze to know exactly where Sebastien was. It was almost like radar, that she knew when he moved past her and Juan, leaving without any word of goodnight. But what did Jordana expect, after what had transpired tonight. She also knew that Liberty would see to him, making sure things stayed on an even footing. She only hoped that the servant wouldn't be hurt in the process, seeing the mood he was in.

Juan agreed, when Jordana asked to go home, telling her she must walk on her own. And for several seconds the young vampire looked up at him, mulling the reason over in her mind. Not that she would have let anyone outside this room see her current weakness, or have asked any less of herself then he did now. A nod of her head was the answer to his request. "I'll do my best...but perhaps you'll hold my hand on the way out." A tired smile accompanied her words, and it would be the closest she would ask as help.

Holding a hand up, Jordana took Juan's and pulled herself up from the bed. It was almost too much effort, but eventually she found her clothes, slowly getting dressed. The entire time her mind kept shying away from what had happened, even as she wanted to explain to Juan what he'd broken in on. "I'm ready," she finally stated, swaying a bit on her feet but holding herself upright.

ooo

Watching her closely while Jordana was putting on her clothes with unsteady hands, Juan could sense a vague sadness about her, like a fine veil that must have fallen some time after the incident. He knew that feeling. It was that special kind of melancholy he always experienced after a session like this one, as a natural consequence, so to speak. It was obviously her first time, and sooner or later she would want to talk about it, and then he would try to explain what it was all about.

Yes, he knew the feeling well. Every time he engaged himself in one of those 'games,' especially when they involved Marie Fontaigne or an especially talented servant, it was like being reborn. After dealing with the first waves of pain, you could not get enough of it, you actually wanted to drown in this, whatever the cost, even if it meant your final death. And then, when all was over, the sadness came. Juan smiled sorrowfully at the memory. You could easily get addicted to this; in fact, it was a rather dangerous addiction, and one that had turned out to be fatal for Francine.

What is more, Jordana had probably expected to reveal a temperamental lover behind Sebastien's façade, and it appeared that, in a way, she had succeeded, but the result to some extent differed from her expectations. The fact that – apart from being a skilled lawyer - Bastien was a hunter and killer and, sad as it was, nothing else, must have been disillusioning. Well, at least it was greatly to her credit that he had shown his real face to her, for this in itself was a rare occasion. Here, Juan grinned to himself. Sebastien had lost face, and he would not be able to deal with that for quite some time. Was it not good that both parties involved had something to think about!

And then, of course, there were the memories that tended to rise whenever they found an opportunity to hit an unprotected mind. This state of oblivion, e.g. during a situation that involved an excessive blood loss, made their host a most welcome target for especially unwelcome and painful flashbacks. Maybe Jordana had some of those, too. Talking about blood loss – Juan heaved an internal sigh of relief that the blood bond he had with Bastien (in addition to the already established first step the change had brought about) protected his son and himself from any other bonds. With all this exchange between him and her, and her and him, the servants would otherwise take bets at who emerged victorious.

All this crossed his mind in an instant. "I see you are up and well, Jordana," he finally said, pushing his thoughts aside. "We should leave then. We can give Raphael a break tonight, and get to bed as soon as we are… home." He gave her his best encouraging smile while she walked out of there, her hand on his raised one, like a queen. Jacqueline, Giorgio and Raphael were lingering in the doorways along the passageway, dressed in bathrobes and looking alert and slightly concerned. When they saw Juan and Jordana walk by, though, they all seemed to relax a little, and Timothy, downstairs, opening the door to see them off, even managed a bow.

Juan walked her to the car, opened the passenger door, then smoothly got in behind the steering wheel without another word. Only when Jordana had closed the door did he look at her, cocking an eyebrow. In contrast to the past nights, she still looked unusually introverted and thoughtful. He knew he could ask her about it, but he preferred not to do so. Hence, he merely remained in this pose, looking at her for a moment. If she decided to talk, they would talk. If not, this was fine and he would merely start the engine and drive to his condo.

ooo

The servants were lined up in the hallway outside the door, waiting anxiously as the vampire pair emerged from the room. It certainly seemed that word got around fast, thought Jordana as her gaze passed over them. And had she been at her best this might have annoyed her a great deal. But as it were she had other things weighing on her mind, and only gave them a ghost of a smile in passing.

Grateful for the arm Juan had offered, the blonde leaned against it as she walked through the lobby. It wasn't only the physical support however that she appreciated. That he hadn't babied her, by carrying her out was also something she respected. It may for the time being have been a relief, but later when it came to facing these same servants, it would have been something else.

As she slid onto the passenger seat, Jordana pulled the door closed behind, then leaned her head back against the seat. A deep sigh flowed through parted lips, while she rested with eyes closed for several seconds. But feeling Juan's quiet presence, Jordana finally turned her head letting her eyes flutter open to see him waiting patiently.

"Ok, so I made a mistake." She wouldn't say it was because of Marie, wouldn't ever play the blame game...because for one it wasn't in her nature, and for another Jordana had been tempted by Sebastien's aloof façade, even if Marie had been the nudge that had her acting on that temptation. And how could she explain something that was only beginning to form in her own mind. The closer she'd come to death the more alive she'd felt, the more exquisite the pleasure. "I thought under the cold exterior, Bastien would be more like you..." Her eyes slanted away as her voice trailed off.

ooo

It seemed reasonable to assume what Jordana said, yet of all things he had taken into consideration, this idea had not crossed Juan's mind. The words hit home, inexplicably, and more than expected. He closed his eyes, and his long slender hands tightened their grip around the steering wheel for a moment before he recovered his composure again with a fine smile and an elegant frown. Then he switched on the engine. "You are perfectly right, _gatita mia_," he said while reversing the TransAm. Driving out onto the street, he added, "But now you know that he is not."

The thought that she had hoped to disclose a Sebastien who was his next of kin in every aspect, but then merely revealed the blatant truth that his son was as cold as ice, would have been amusing, had it not been for the fact that they had, in fact, more in common than Jordana could ever guess. The origin was different, true, but the result was the same: when the red curtain fell, they were both able to kill for pleasure. And was it not a 'natural desire' all vampires had in common? Unfortunately this special feature he and Sebastien shared had nothing to do with nourishment or, saints preserve us! frenzy, but it was a more basic, even profane berserk quality the boy had inherited, not via the Embrace, but from the temperamental girl who was his mother, and from the unfortunate rascal who Juan had chosen to function as begetter. Juan had long since given up to believe in coincidences. On the contrary, it made immense sense that Sebastien nevertheless took after him; him and Javier.

Nonetheless, it was at the same time a relief and quite saddening that Jordana had missed the truth by a hair's breadth. Juan himself had hoped more than once that Sebastien would somehow develop, magically, as it were, due to his vast experience in the pleasure business sector, but he had hoped in vain. The only thing Sebastien had proved again and again was that his father and sire could rely on him, that their bond was truly unbreakable – and that he was not predisposed to change one iota.

Juan realized that he had been driving to his condo without a further word, and when he glanced to Jordana he found her almost dozing off. "We're home," he said softly. He liked to say this word, 'home.' It sounded so clean and cosy. When he had switched off the engine, he turned towards the blonde and bent over her, kissing her hand. "Everything will be fine, my dear." She looked very weak, but she would go on. They always did.

He turned to get out, then hesitated and added over his shoulder, "You can ask me anything, Jordana." Following an impulse, he strode around the car in order to help her up. He literally pulled her to her feet, and holding her close for a moment whispered, "We all make mistakes sometimes." By the tone of his voice, it showed that he had made the bigger ones, and he would never stop regretting.

ooo

The blonde was lost in her own thoughts while the car slipped through the late night city. She hadn't noticed that her companion also seemed to be busy with his own thoughts, and that the car's interior had fallen silent. Eventually the motion of the car soothed the young Vampire, her head resting against the seat, she almost succumbed to the heavy tiredness.

Her eyes had just about closed when she heard Juan's voice telling her they were home. Jordana blinked when he took her hand, lips tracing a feather light kiss along her knuckles, as he assured her everything was going to be ok, adding his consent of any questions she might have. Jordana tucked that piece of information away, because she could barely think at the moment much less try to decide what she wanted to know.

There was a weak smile on her lips when Juan, gentleman that he was, pulled her from the car and held her close. _"We all make mistakes sometimes."_ Blue eyes focused on the face in front of her, and Jordana put a hand on either cheek, "Well it's bound to happen... being immortal doesn't mean we know everything." She gave him a soft chuckle, leaning in to brush his lips with her own. "And at least speaking for myself, I can't say it'll never happen again... mistakes that is." Jordana didn't want Juan to think she planned on playing such a dangerous game with Bastien again. No, she was convinced this wasn't ever going to happen again... even if...

ooo

"Promises never work out, _corazón_." He threw her another thoughtful glance before calling the elevator. When they were inside, Juan had to resist the urge to lean into Jordana, and instead pulled her close so that it looked as if he was merely eager to hold her, supporting them both against the wall. It was good to hold her, anyway. He felt ever so tired, and embracing Jordana was like coming home. There it was again, this word he had grown so fond of - recently.

The elevator car silently climbed upstairs, and during the short time of slight pressure the movement brought about, Juan suddenly grew aware of the whole possible extent the catastrophe he had just prevented from happening could have had, the realization weighing him down. Had Sebastien committed the same crime again, like Juan himself had done some hundred years ago, Javier would not have spared them any more; both of them. And the old man would surely have found out about it.

He had been so close to losing her, and he did not like the idea at all. As always, Juan followed his instincts, or rather, his most direct desires, and while the doors slid open he kissed Jordana with all the passion he was capable of, tumbling outside and landing on top of her. The doors tried to slide closed again, but they were kept open by the feet still stuck between them. When he finally noticed, Juan looked up in mid-kiss to throw Maria a reproachful glance. The servant, sleepily looking up from the purple pillows, hastened to get up and get the elevator key while Juan merely moved aside, pulling Jordana with him, then plunged down for another ferocious kiss.

He quite liked it down there, on the floor, but for once the lady did not seem to be able to react appropriately, due to general exhaustion, and secondly they would have to get into the box sooner or later, anyway. He laughed, artificially as always, yet a bit more honestly than usual. It was all so strange, and yet so simple: They were home, he was scarred, Jordana had almost met her final death, and unlife went on. "Let's retire, my dearest," he said, still chuckling, and ignoring Maria he picked the blonde up and carried her to the bedstead.

* * *

_To be continued... _


	16. Chapter 16

**_Nights of Surprises - by Macko and dalpal  
_**

_In co-production with ElenaC _

_For disclaimer please see Chapter 1!_

* * *

  
Chapter 16 

The Next Night...

Jordana's eyes opened to a heavy but familiar darkness. She could feel Juan's body resting beside her, and even picked up the faint sound of Maria moving about the penthouse. But every time she tried to remember actually getting here, her mind seemed wrapped in a thick veil. 'Hadn't Marie been here?' she thought, 'wasn't I with Bastien?' The other vampire's name brought back flashes flitting quickly across her minds eye.

Certain events swam to the surface, causing the young vampire to gasp, struggling to rise...but the lid of the pair's resting place stopped her, and Jordana dropped back to the bed. The strong reaction brought her weakened state to the blonde's attention, and a hand moved involuntarily to the newly formed skin at her neck. It was true...had really happened.

With the realization came a sudden hunger...a thirst for the blood that had been drained from her the night before. And Jordana lay there closing her eyes as she tried to calm the rising beast. The last thing she wanted was to act the way Bastien had. "Juan? Are you awake?" she asked, panic edging her voice.

ooo

The approaching night had announced herself to Juan's heightened senses long before, however he wanted to remain still and enjoy Jordana's presence until she too would awake from her stupor. When she finally stirred, the feeling of hunger and panic was so strong that it transferred to him easily, close as they were, even before he heard it in her voice. As soon as he heard her talk, though, he knew that the matter bore a certain urgency.

Pushing the lid open with one hand, Juan put his other arm around her and trailed a row of soft kisses along Jordana's temple, whispering in-between, "Quiet, my love, quiet. I am here. Everything is in perfect order. Fight it, my dear, you will have your fill, just give us a second." While talking to her in the singsong voice he used in situations like this one, he beckoned Maria with his free hand. She hurried to follow his order and went down on her knees, already rolling up her sleeve, although she still looked a bit pale. After a worried glance from Jordana to his favourite servant, Juan gave a nod of consent.

Juan watched Jordana drink, still with his arm around her and silently hoping that he would be able to pull her away before she killed Maria. It looked artful. He once more wished that the ability to paint had been among his talents, but as this was not the case, he should really do something useful instead of watching them. After a blink and a sigh, he reached for the phone and called Gary. The phone seemed to ring eternally. Juan rolled his eyes with impatience. He wanted to get over and done with this; with all of it: the cure, the house, the hunger. Just be merry and immaculate and enjoy unlife, that would be something else for a change.

ooo

Finally, the dialtone in Juan's phone was interrupted by a soft click, and by a deep, rumbling voice, saying, "I apologize for the delay. Please identify yourself."

ooo

"Juan here," Juan said. "I presume this is Gary I am talking to. It is probably unnecessary, yet I had the desire to remind you of our agreement." He searched the room for something reasonable to adjoin, and finding no inspiration in the sparse interior, he merely added, "You will understand that I need to get engaged in my business affairs in a decent and adequate state as soon as possible. Uh huhuh. Business affairs that could well involve your lot, too, if you get what I mean. I also hope that the cure will work quickly, whatever it may take, Gary… You know I can easily put up with quite an amount of pain."

Waiting for Gary's reply, he looked at Jordana and found that she had drunk enough. He kindly tapped her on the shoulder; not that this would have a great effect, but it was a start. When this was in fact not enough, he grabbed her shoulder and shook it, although he had the impression that he would finally need both hands to separate the blonde from his favourite servant before she managed to kill Maria. He could only hope for Gary to finish the call in a shorter time than it had taken him to begin it.

ooo

I rather doubt that your business affairs could involve Nosferatu interests," Gary's voice said drily, "but I've been known to be wrong before. The cure is finished. I'm sending my operative over to you as we speak. As for the price - It has come to my attention that you have had dealings with the Romani tribe in the area. I require a component that is singularly hard to come by, and for some reason, the Romani refuse to deal with me. Frederick has details. If you make inquiries or even get your hands on this component and get it to me, your debt to my family will be paid. I trust this will be satisfactory."

ooo

As the older woman offered her arm, Jordana could smell the rich fluid that flowed below the surface, and quickly pierced the thin barrier. And with the first taste time faded, the arm around her shoulder disappeared, and nothing but the thick blood reached the young vampire. Anything else ceased to matter.

At first the blonde didn't feel the tap on her shoulder, so intent on feeding that she wasn't even aware of the call Juan was making. But when he began shaking her, the girl let Maria's arm go with a pop, turning with a snarl on her lips, ready to guard her meal. It may have been the growl coming from her own lips, or the recognition of her companion that shocked Jordana back to her senses and a look of panic flitted through her eyes.

"Maria?" she questioned, turning to the older woman, "Are you alright? I-I'm sorry." Jordana, wasn't one to usually worry too much about stray humans, but didn't like to see servants abused by their stronger masters. And now she felt like she'd taken the liberty of abusing Juan's favoured servant. "I'm sorry Juan," she turned back to see him on the phone.

ooo

Just when he was on the verge of interrupting this quite touching process of feeding, Juan noticed that Jordana still managed to get a grip on herself. Yes, she did growl, just like she was supposed to do, but otherwise she showed an amazing amount of self-control for a vampire girl as young as her. And was it not cute, the way she snarled at him? And although she obviously enjoyed drinking Maria's blood, she stopped before it was too late, and even displayed sweet signs of human conscience. "Has it ever appeared to you that you have a tendency to quite often apologize for your behaviour?" he said and smiled, then laughed out loud, shaking his head as if he had made a bad joke.

At a nod of his, Maria got up, and flashing a weak smile at Jordana and a reproachful glance at Juan, she retreated to the kitchen. The Old vampire watched her go, ascertaining that she was in good health, then he turned his attention to the phone again, his features changing from sorrowful to relieved to exceedingly polite in a second. He put his arm around Jordana' shoulders once more, hugged her close and continued talking into the old-fashioned ivory receiver.

"I am sorry, Gary, but there was a minor interruption. But of course, my friend, whatever you need, I will do my very best to acquire it for you. I am unspeakably grateful for the favour you are doing me. As soon as my exterior is… restored, I will take the steps required and contact my Romani friends. Oh, and… rest assured that, although it will be not likely that we invite you to the official opening, my establishment will provide certain… opportunities, even for your kind. I've been told that there's usually no need for this among your people - but there can be exceptions." He thought of Paris and smiled at the memory. "Anyway, we will talk about that eventually. For now, thank you again and good bye."

After finishing the phone call, Juan looked at Jordana, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, _corazoncito_," he said without hiding the amusement in his voice. "You seem to have had an exciting night yesterday. But let us stop apologizing, do you not think so? To my mind, we are quits." He opened his black leather overall and stretched, leaning into her. He did so on purpose, being well aware that she would see the scarred surface that could hardly be called skin. Watching her, he lifted her chin with a finger and got so close that his lips almost touched hers. "We will have to wait until the little Nosferatu comes with my beauty cure," he whispered. "Well… We could bridge the time with some talking, for a change. What thinkst thou, my beauty?"

ooo

Blue eyes narrowed in a faint show of temper at Juan's suggestion that she might apologize too often. And had he not returned to his call, she might have pointed out that it wasn't every day that she found herself almost drained of the blood that kept her among her kind. So she off her game, what of it? And it was probably a very good thing that he put his arm around her, hugging the blonde...close enough to dispel her temper.

Jordana watched as the call ended and Juan turned his attention back to her. Her gaze moving down as he unzipped the clothing, and revealed the tortured flesh beneath. To say she didn't approve of his choice of games, or partners didn't have to be spoken out loud as her lips pursed. It was clearly written on her face. And as his finger lifted her chin, Jordana gave Juan a stony stare. "What shall we talk about?...Maybe how long it'll be until your friend Marie comes back for another round?"

She knew she was being unreasonable after what happened last night. Jordana hadn't forgotten that Juan saved her, but she couldn't seem to let go of that little grain of anger in the back of her mind.

ooo

He could see the anger in her eyes as much as he could sense her deeper feelings of aversion and disbelief about the things he favoured, and there was nothing he would want to hold against that. Instead, he blinked once, very slowly and smiling knowingly, and inclined his head as a tribute to her legitimate annoyance. "It will be eight years, to be exact," he then said and kissed her temple again. "Eight years and no less. It has always been that way."

He wondered whether he should tell her that it would be the other way round next time he met Marie Fontaigne. After all, they hardly knew each other and had yet found out about each other more interesting and intimate things than other lovers discovered in a lifetime. And did not La Roche-Foucault warn about talking of lovers in the presence of wives and vice versa? Not that he would call one of the ladies either of the previous, but the example was nonetheless right. He had done enough to fan Jordana's temper, and she would in due time get to know him in that regard, too.

"Please, Jordana," Juan said after a short silence, pronouncing her name Spanish again - which was already becoming a habit. "I meant it to be encouraging, not reproachful, my love. And your anger is perfectly reasonable. I behaved like a complete moron, shoving you aside like you didn't deserve any better." If he needed to grovel, he could do so very well, including the downcast glance and the hopeful smile. "But you do deserve better." He added in his thoughts, 'In fact, you do, more than you think. I would not have saved just anybody.'

ooo

With a petulant look on her face, Jordana looked at Juan for several seconds after he'd kissed her temple. She rolled his answer around in her mind, while Juan cajoled her by taking all the blame on himself. Then almost as if she'd taken a deep breath, the blond spoke, "Eight years... all right, I can deal with that."

Her body, which she'd been holding stiffly, suddenly relaxed. "And I wouldn't have been stupid enough to let just anyone do what Bastien did, either. I can show self restraint... sometimes." She didn't want Juan thinking she was completely senseless, and the reminder only served to make Jordana angry with herself. This time the girl did make the very human gesture and sighed heavily, "I think we need a change of subjects. Oh, I know we need to discuss this... eventually. But not tonight, please."

Jordana gave her companion a hint of a hopeful smile. "So, are you going to tell me about your mysterious phone call… and this cure you mentioned?" She was determined not to let her mind wander to last night… or Bastien. No, tonight was all for Juan.

ooo

Looking at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes, Juan once more answered in his thoughts, 'No, you would not, would you now? But if a boy looks as striking as our dear Bastien, you surely would, just as you would let myself do that, and you would do it again, too.' He did not want to meddle with the lady right now, though. Hence, he said instead, "My mysterious phone call, yes… Believe it or not, but I was talking to a Nosferatu."

He let the sentence sink in a bit, then continued, "Due to fortunate occurrences in the past, my connections with our ugly friends were always utterly… intense. They might be sewer rats, and yet, they know more about architecture and alchemy, alas, more about knowledge per se, than anybody else I've come to know. They are, unlike the others of our kind, always organized in communities." His thoughts drifted away for a moment, as he remembered the kindness and hospitality of the Paris neighbourhood.

Getting back to the present, he went on. "These scars here… Would not heal for a good time, but we want me to be pretty, smooth and immaculate as before, do we not. Moreover, I would not like those to remind you of the topic you dearly want to avoid." He closed his eyes for a second, then explained. "We are talking about alchemy. Gary will provide a potion that can make me all silky and nice again, and I will take the cure tonight." Juan knew what that sounded like, and he also knew about the dangers such a transaction could bring about, but he had to chance it, and if truth be told, he had not much to lose.

ooo

In the basement of the building, a ventilation shaft was opened from the inside, and a white, bald head emerged, large black eyes blinking in the near darkness. After a moment of taking in its surroundings, the shape withdrew again, the grate of the shaft falling shut with a soft metallic clank.

This procedure repeated itself in the underground garage, but this time, the small, thin shape fully appeared and dropped noiselessly to the floor. Looking around, Frederick then made his way to the elevator after whistling at the sight of the car in the garage.

His spindly clawed forefinger was already hovering over the call button when he remembered something. With a muttered "oh yeah" he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Juan's number from memory after activating the call sign "NOS COM" to be sent to the receiving phone.

When it was picked up, he rasped, "Hey, Juan, Avon callin'. I got somethin' for you. I could come up right now. That okay?"

ooo

When he heard the phone ring, Juan frowned sceptically before picking it up, suddenly fearing that it was Gary, and that the old man would tell him he had changed his mind. Hearing Freddie's voice, though, made him roll his eyes with relief, and with a boyish smile he mouthed 'It's him' before answering the phone. "Good to know you are here, my dear," he said. "I will send you my servant in a moment." With this, he put the receiver back and nodded towards the elevator, with an attentive Maria already on her way.

"Talk of the devil," he said to Jordana. "My 'beautician' is on his way." He leaned back and watched Jordana's perfect features with lazy and lascivious smugness. "It can only be a matter of hours now, and I will be all yours, in all my original magnificence."

ooo

Jordana almost opened her mouth to tell Juan it would serve him right if he had to wear the scars his friend Marie inflicted. But then she remembered that she was in no position to act superior after the previous night's adventure. And she was curious about his dealings with the Nosferatu clan. The blond had, had her own dealings with one, on occasion... everyone knew the best information came from them, but as individuals they were all so different, as at the same time so similar.

The phone rang and her companion answered, speaking to the caller at the other end, indicating their guest was downstairs waiting to come up. Obviously the man didn't have the limitations of waiting for full dark to go out, since they travelled the underground, and so was ready to get to work. As soon as Juan ended the call he turned to her, _"... It can only be a matter of hours now, and I will be all yours, in all my original magnificence."_

He was watching her, and Jordana gave him a smile, "Well then I should make myself presentable. I'll just go get dressed." Sliding out of Juan's embrace, Jordana stood up, with only a moment's weakness to remind her of last night, then walked toward the bathroom. "I won't be long," she said with a backwards glance.

ooo

When he saw Jordana in all her naked splendour, rising out of the blankets like the proverbial goddess born of the foam of the sea and walking proudly towards the bathroom, Juan was more than tempted to follow her. Just in time, however, he remembered that he was in no position to join her right now. What is more, it would have made an impression that could be quite misleading for the little Nosferatu if he entered Juan's apartment only to find his business partner together with a beautiful blonde under the shower. He might even get the idea to join them. Juan had to suppress a shudder.

All he could do now was to answer, "Take your time, _mujer de ensueño_," and to follow her with his eyes until her perfect derrière had rounded the bathroom corner. Then he stood up and straightened his cat suit without lacing it closed again. The elevator door went ping and opened to a slightly uncomfortable looking Maria and the apparently ever grinning Frederick. "Welcome," Juan said with a slight bow, a cocked eyebrow and a carefully measured smile. "How good to see you. And how timely, indeed."

He waved Maria aside and made an inviting gesture towards the bed, the only piece of furniture there. Then, growing aware of the ambiguity of this gesture, he immediately diverted the movement into the direction of the window front with an elegant looping of his arm. "Shall we sit down here? I am inconsolable, but the furniture has not arrived yet, thus we will have to sit on the floor." He laughed artificially. "It has a certain rural charm, no? Do sit down. I am dying to see what your newest Avon collection consists of."

Meanwhile, Maria hastened to make the bed and close the cover. More than once, her glance flew towards the strange Roswell alien-like Nosferatu, and in spite of her age and experience, she was obviously nervous due to his presence. As soon as the bed looked as immaculate as it was supposed to be, she hurried back to her kitchen corner, where she kept a lookout from behind the bar.

ooo

During the elevator ride, Frederick had been sorely tempted to go "boo" at the housekeeper just to see her face, but he was here on behalf of Gary who had a reputation to lose, and besides, these types of prank lost their appeal after you have done them a few dozen times. So he had not even made any rude noises or obscene remarks, not talking to her at all after the initial greeting.

As he entered, his sensitive nostrils picked up the scent of someone who hadn't been there the last time, and he craned his thin neck to see who that might be, but the room appeared empty. The bed was rumpled until the housekeeper began straightening it, and Frederick grinned. That kind of visitor.

"Oh yeah, fine, no prob" he rasped, dropping bonelessly to the floor and setting his backpack down next to him. He hadn't missed Juan's aborted gesture towards the bed, though. "You grieve me, Juan. The floor after what we've shared? And I was so gentle, too!" Meanwhile, his spindly fingers opened the backpack and withdrew a small glass vial and a can.

Setting both objects onto the floor in front of him, the Nosferatu arranged his long thin limbs around himself and grinned at Juan. "Ta-da!"

ooo

Juan elegantly settled himself down onto a spot opposite Freddie, dearly hoping that the small Nosferatu would not blemish the carpet, and he just as gracefully ignored the little guy's comment. This was exemplary for his swift swings of moods in general. There was no one who liked a good play on words and a nice jest of double entendres more than Juan, but not just now. At present, he was only eager to change his sickening outer surface, and he had to concentrate on the unpleasant things the cure would certainly bring about.

He examined the can and the vial carefully and sniffed at them thoroughly before setting them both aside and giving a nod of assent while suppressing a sneeze. "Very good, my dear Frederick," he said, still sniffling a bit. "I am overly pleased to find that Gary seems to be every bit as able and skilful as our mutual friend in Paris. Please do tell him my best regards and pronounced gratefulness. As I said before, I will hurry to follow his requirements as soon as I can show myself in public again."

He got to his feet with poise and bowed slightly, meaning to hint at Freddie's timely departure. When the little guy merely blinked up at him, obviously enjoying himself greatly where he was, Juan cleared his throat and made a polite yet unmistakable gesture towards the elevator. "Please do not let me detain you," he said. "Fortunately, I had to apply similar potions before, hence I know how to use them. Moreover, I have assistance." He could not prevent his eyes from flickering towards the bathroom door. Jordana could come back any moment now, and who knew how she would react to this little imp. First of all, though, Maria appeared from the kitchen corner, and to underline Juan's veiled hints she swirled the key on the chain and made a very clear 'hop hop' gesture towards the door.

ooo

Frederick blinked. "What, wham, bang, and not even a thank you, Freddy? I'm wounded. Did ya know how much trouble Gary went to to concoct that stuff, and how much trouble it was for the rest of us? New nadirs of odiferousness were reached, let me tell you that. And now, you're just gonna toss me out on me ear?"

Of course, the Nosferatu was enjoying this situation immensely. It was always fun to torture the Pretty Clans, see how much they took before they blew their cool and used plain language. 'Please do not let me detain you' certainly wasn't plain enough. "I'm not bein' detained," he rasped cheerfully. "Nothin' important to do right now. Hey, I could help you smear the stuff on ya. So your visitor wouldn't have to see ya. I'll be very gentle. Deal?" He grinned again, curious to see if that had been too much.

ooo

"It is odoriferousness, my dear Frederick, and it was not my intention to hurt you," Juan answered on cue, rolling his eyes quite nicely, although he was pretty aware of what the little Nosferatu was playing at. Uncommon for one of his kind, he had been a welcome guest among the Paris sewer rats, even though he could not stand the stench. His very special friend there had provided an ante-chamber for those occasions. In order not to disappoint little Freddie, he played along.

He looked at the bathroom door again, but this time with mock anxiety, lest his lover might not come in time to save him from Freddie's spidery fingers. Just like the last time they met, part of Juan felt intrigued by the idea of getting involved with a Roswell Alien; he was always game for anything new. But this would have to wait until another time and a better occasion. Waving his hands a bit to show his utter apprehension in an admittedly theatrical way, and sidling towards the bathroom door as elegantly as possible, he said with an adequate squeak in his voice, "No, wait! This is very kind of you, my dear, really, but, you see, I have this lady…" here he raised his voice slightly, "… who will take pleasure in helping me."

He hoped that it would be as much fun for Jordana to fool around with Freddie as it was for him. And if not, it would be amusing to watch them.

ooo

As Jordana towelled her hair dry she thought she heard Juan's voice, talking outside the door. It must be that his guest had come in, even though she didn't hear the other speaking. Dropping the used towel with a sigh, she began going through the small folded pile of her clothes. Her shower had been much shorter than she would have liked, and the blonde, still weakened by last night's activities, felt her temper on edge.

For a moment she just stood, bare naked, eyes closed willing herself to calm, before she resumed the activity of finding something to wear. In minutes the girl was dressed, dark pants she'd worn last night, sheer shirt she'd worn the first night she met her new companion. Running a brush through her long, pale air, Jordana shrugged at her reflection. It would do.

Opening the door, she caught the end of Juan's words, "... _who will take pleasure in helping me._" With a raised brow the blonde stepped from the bathroom. It seemed the pair had taken up residence on the floor in front of the large windows, since there was still no furniture, and were conversing. Although Juan seemed to be relieved when he saw her. Jordana walked coolly toward them, and stopping she extended a slender hand to the Nosferatu stranger. "Hello, I'm Jordana. I don't believe we've met." There was no repulsion at the sight of the strange little man, or hesitation on the blonde's part.

ooo

He had not seen it coming. If truth be said, Juan had expected any kind of reaction to Freddie's habituation-needily visage - apart from the one Jordana actually performed. In contrast to his usual artificial demeanour, his mouth dropped open this time, and even more extraordinary, he was left speechless for a moment. Now this was a lovely muddle. Had the little imp already reacted to Juan's involuntary offer to join him for a massage, Freddie would be even more enraptured by his lady, especially the way she looked tonight, fresh and lovely and exceedingly young – and exceedingly attractive.

This had to be prevented at all cost.

With a vicious glint in his eyes, Juan snatched Jordana's hand away as if it was meant for him, kissed it, then kissed its owner, quite blatantly, on the mouth. No protest would be tolerated, as he like hell would give her up now. No, whatever Jordana or Freddie might do as a reaction to Juan's admittedly audacious behaviour, he would claim what he deemed his own tonight – and see that the little Nosferatu understood where his limits were.

ooo

Frederick had just been about to grab the offered hand and kiss it (just kiss it, honest, Gov), when it was snatched away by Juan, who then proceeded to pee right over the lovely Vampire - well, figuratively speaking. Marking his territory, in any case.

Frederick giggled. He'd never seen a kiss performed between two Non-Nosferatu right in front of him while he wasn't invisible, so he looked. He leaned forward, raising up a little to get a better view, and watched the action. After all, it was performed for his benefit, so he might as well enjoy it.

It was a good kiss. Frederick knew what he was talking about. He considered himself an expert on osculation, and this was certainly among the top performances in his admittedly limited experience.

When they finally drew apart again, Frederick nodded appreciatively. "Gooood," he rasped. "Near A. Very much near A. Tongue could use a little work." Which was not true, but he needed to get a little of his own back. Then he grinned brightly. "Can I go next, Juan?"

He threw Jordana an apologetic glance and hoped she wouldn't be too mad, but what the hell was he supposed to do? Avert his eyes? A Nosferatu, looking away? Deliberately? Not bloody likely. And he certainly wasn't about to get the message that he was supposed to scram already. Nope, Gov. Still not plain enough.

He held Juan's gaze for a moment longer, then he relented. "Okay, okay, I get it. Have fun, you two. Pleasure to meet ya, Jordana. I'm Frederick, in case Juan forgets to mention it. Oh, and don't forget to wash your hands."

With that cryptic remark, he ambled towards the exit, a little regretful, a little excited, and a little envious, but determined not to show any of it.

ooo

As her hand was snatched away, Jordana turned a surprised gaze on Juan. It was so unlike him to react jealously, but that seemed to be the case as he pulled her in for a kiss. He'd never shown the least hint of jealousy, not toward Bastien last night, when it would have been possibly justified, or toward Rafe. So why now? And toward a vampire that by the look of him was no match to the suave vampire.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the kiss, because she did, but when he released her, the blond didn't give Juan the pleasure of saying anything. Nor did she have to when the little Nossie spoke up. Not only spoke up, but had the nerve to rate the kiss. Jordana had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing. _"Okay, okay, I get it. Have fun, you two. Pleasure to meet ya, Jordana. I'm Frederick, in case Juan forgets to mention it. Oh, and don't forget to wash your hands."_

Blue eyes followed the vampire as he moved toward the door, then turned a questioning gaze on her companion. "That was quite rude, Juan. Mind telling me what it was all about? And why would I need to wash my hands?" As she asked, Jordana wondered if the pair had already conducted their business, and Juan had been given his cure. Her gaze moved down, but it was hard to tell if there was anything different about his 'scars' yet.

ooo

While Maria hastened to see Freddie out, Juan quickly recovered from his passion attack and for a moment wondered what indeed had come over him to act that rashly – and rudely. At the same time he knew the answer, though. He had fallen for Jordana from the very beginning, and after three nights without her – although the distraction had been admittedly profound – he hungered for being alone with her. But the blonde was right: he had been rude, and if there was anything he would not tolerate, then it was his own misbehaviour.

"Well… thank you, my dear friend," he said a little unconvincingly to Freddie while the elevator doors were already opening in front of the little guy. Working his jaw a bit until it found its original smiling position once more, he added with more effort, "Thank you for your help, uhm… Frederick." And before the doors could close, Juan winked an eye at Frederick in order to show that he was not entirely adverse to meeting him again, regardless of his previous behaviour. He felt like a schoolboy, but there was hardly a thing he would not do right now, just to please Jordana.

He took great pleasure in feeling so, too.

When they were finally on their own, he turned towards her. "I am sorry, my love. And you are ever so right. Yes, I was a little bit… naughty. But well, who would blame me for being jealous?" He looked at her with what could only be called a highly cultivated leer. "Now. Yes, uh huhuh. To wash your hands…" He took Jordana by the hand and led her to the spot where he and Freddie had been sitting. There were the can and the vial. Juan gingerly picked them up and wiggled them in front of Jordana's face. "I would be obliged if you helped me apply this…" he lifted the can, "… to my back – and if you like, to all other parts... Only if you want to help me, of course. And then you would need to wash your hands." He blinked once, trying to look innocent.

He lowered the can again and looked at her. "You do look lovely tonight, my dear. If I act like a madman it is only because I am crazy for you." He carefully put the two receptacles down on the floor again. "You would have to see me naked," he added, smiling mischievously. "I do not know if you can take it." There, he was talking in rhymes again, just like then, when he had that incredible affair with the redhead at King Louis' court. Now he knew that he was ultimately lost.

* * *

_To be continued... _


	17. Chapter 17

_For disclaimer please see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 17

Jordana arched a brow at Juan's apology but said nothing. She was surprised that he would admit to being jealous, but if she were to examine her feelings, a little pleased also. He took her hand, and the blond gave no resistance as her companion led her to where he and their guest had been sitting. On the floor were two items, that Juan quickly picked up, asking for her help as he gave a sketchy description of what he needed.

As he told her he didn't think she could take looking at him naked, Jordana's brow shot up once again, "I'm not so faint of heart, that I can't look at your ravished body, Juan. I know it must be quite bad, to ask the Nosferatu for their help."

A quick snap of her fingers and Jordana turned, briskly walking to the bed. "Get undressed, and lay down." Jordana turned toward the kitchen, Maria, do you have a sheet that we can ruin, to cover the bed?" At the woman's nod she turned back to her lover, all business, putting her hands on her hips, "What are we to do with the other...the vial? And what are you waiting for?" She noticed he had yet to remove the catsuit that covered him.

ooo

Still indulging in, ah, the glory of mortal passion, Juan had been listening and at the same time not listening at all. Now, coming to what was more or less his usual state of awareness, he blinked and looked at her in carefully set amazement while rapidly replaying her words in his mind. Oh yes, the vial. "I will drink it after you applied the… gloopy substance on my… well, where my skin was supposed to be," he answered. "It is what we would call a two component remedy."

He did know that component number one did not come off easily, because it would patiently wait for component two to work from within and then turn into new skin. Which would not be the case on Jordana's hands, of course. Peeling off his catsuit, Juan bit back a smirk. He was pretty sure that Maria had benzine somewhere in the recesses of her cupboards. Of course, Maria would have been more than pleased to rub him from head to toe with the vicious ointment. The only reason why he would not let her do it was that he wanted Jordana to know what it was all about; the spirits, the essence, the magic of alchemy and, last but not least, the stench and the pain.

After removing the catsuit, he obediently lay down on the towel Maria had meanwhile provided. She would have to dump it afterwards. When Jordana opened the can, a stench rose from it that faintly reminded of vinegar concentrate and something bitter, biting the sensitive Kindred nostrils, and once more Juan was glad he did not need to breathe. That implied that he did not speak, either, which in turn was the better because he could thus clench his teeth without showing. The substance stung immediately when it touched the scarred tissue; still bearable, like a foretaste of what was to come when he drank the other part. While being spread by Jordana's skilful hands, it sizzled softly, magically filling all the gaps and creases and coating his body like a greyish translucent icing.

When the blonde at length applied the remainder from the can to his chest, Juan did (apart from his face) not even remotely look human any more. He rather stood there like something that had just emerged from an alien cocoon. He had struggled to his feet for the last bits, holding on to the vial, and as soon as she was finished, he managed a "Thank you very much" before downing the whole content in one go. For one moment, the liquid felt like ice wherever it touched his insides. Then it seemed to remember what it had been made for, and it spread and headed towards the other component, i.e. outside – through everything else. Juan's body once more exploded in white hot pain. All he could do was try to ride on the waves without drowning. He fell to his knees and groaned.

Meanwhile, the stuff on Jordana's hands had settled into a kind of waiting state, building a fine but impenetrable layer on her skin that could neither be rubbed nor washed off. It was half way to becoming skin, but the official order to actually do so was missing. Maria, who had been watching the whole scene with an expression of mild interest, turned and walked back to the kitchen corner. After rummaging in the cupboard for a moment, she daintily placed the bottle of benzine and a generous slab of cotton wool on the bar and showed what was supposed to be a benevolent smile.

ooo

Sebastien was driving the Jag away from the city centre, heading for Las Olas. He was in a sombre mood, which was, as far as his previous existence would tell us, not an exception, but rather his general state of mind. His thoughts would have troubled him, had he been able to be troubled at all. But as things stood, they merely caused a mild annoyance that could easily be regarded as a software error. He replayed the past hours in his mind, only to structure them and then to store them away like all the others memories.

After the incident with Jordana that had luckily been interrupted by his father, so that any further inconvenience could be avoided, Liberty had seen to it that he could retreat on a full system, so to say. As far as he could remember, he seldom feasted on two complete voluminae vitales up to then, but this night it seemed appropriate. It never appeared to him what really had happened, although he could not deny himself a certain sensation quite close to relief that it was over.

The day rest having been an adequately long one, he found the hotel busy when he finally got up, all of their ghouls spic and span, all luggage packed and everyone ready for moving. Due to the experience of decades, they remained patient when he told them that they would not move to the house at once, because he had to meet Howard for a last time to pay the rest of their debt first. He took Giorgio with him this time, and they got done with the business with the Brujah rather quickly, because none of the two parties involved desired to be in the other's proximity longer than necessary.

Well, the business had been finished, and the facts were ready to be filed away – all of them. Now they were driving to their new haven, Giorgio was sitting by his side, Liberty in the rear, part of the luggage tucked into the trunk, and the other three ghouls together with the better part of the suitcases were following suit in the cab behind. The Grover Cleveland was closed and would soon be for sale. The new home, albeit dilapidated and still reeking of Brujah, was waiting for them to move in.

The thought of Brujah gave Sebastien another strange sensation, something like the shadow of a pang of guilt, or rather an echo, and for the fraction of a moment he looked at Giorgio, moving his thoughts around this phenomenon. When the ghoul answered his glance with a questioning one, though, Sebastien merely sneered and looked front once more. He felt Liberty's warm hand on his shoulder, but he could not for his unlife tell why she tended to behave like this, nor what it was that made her smile.

When they arrived at their new premises, Sebastien parked the Jag well hidden from sight, then went to pay the cab driver, who whistled through his teeth when he saw the house and the fountain, yet hurried to depart when he saw Sebastien's expression. A slight whiff of lavender wavered around them when the little party entered the house, but Sebastien could not detect anything unusual apart from that. While the ghouls set to work to get at least some of the rooms into a more proper state, he went to look around his new domicile.

Further downstairs, there was a spacious wine cellar opening to some kind of vaults, and to Sebastien's slight and merely professional surprise there was a wide fourposter bed in one of the distant corners. Well, this would do. Satisfied with what he saw, he took out his cell phone in order to call Juan while turning to go upstairs again. He almost ran into a wall – which was strange, as he could have sworn that there had not been a wall behind him when he had first entered this part of the cellar. Even stranger, Sebastien realized that he was locked inside of what turned out to be a completely closed room without any discernible door.

Unable to feel any kind of horror or even the slightest irritation, he could only do so much as to sit down and call Juan nevertheless. At least, he would be able to talk to him unmolested by the others. The wall matter that had certainly not been there before would dissolve into something explicable with the same certainty, eventually. He sat down on the bed, putting aside the stench of lavender that was swept up by the movement. Someone swore in French under his breath. It was a female voice, and it was quite near. Sebastien, however, was used to stranger incidents than this one and thus completely oblivious to what was going on. He dialled the number and waited. Behind him, the purple mist moved.

ooo

After Jordana gave her orders, she stood back watching them be carried out, first by Maria, then Juan looking as if he were coming out of a daze. He lay down as directed, his face hidden from the girl's sight. Something she was grateful for as she removed the lid and the fumes wafted up to her nose, causing her to make a face. A quick survey of the damage inflicted had the young vampire shaking her head, and hating the bitch Marie all the more. It was, however, their game and she had nothing more to say on the matter.

Jordana dipped her fingers into the can, pulling forth the gluey mass, and began the arduous task of spreading it evenly over ever inch of raw flesh. She didn't enjoy the feel of the stuff, but never once tried to rush the process in order to be rid of it. Satisfied that his backside was covered, the blond stood up allowing her patient to move. She watched her companion struggle up, and when he was steady on his feet, the girl finished up quickly. "Thank you very much" Juan managed, then downed the vial.

The blond had taken a step back, and she watched as her companion fell to his knees. She wanted to reach out and help, seeing him in pain, but something stopped her. It was obvious even to her that Juan enjoyed some pain by letting this Marie do what she had, and even though the girl didn't know if what he was going through right now was too much, the cure had to be let alone to do its job.

Her attention was diverted by the sound of Maria moving about, and Jordana turned to see her putting out several items. And in turn it reminded her of the layer of substance glued to her hands. A backward glance told Jordana that Juan didn't need her at present, and she quickly closed the distance to the kitchen area to try to remove the foul ointment.

ooo

The waves of pain were slowly ebbing, and after only a few minutes the process was completed. Although he did certainly not need to do so, Juan took a deep gulp of breath despite the unpleasant smell that still hung in the air, and he let out a long sigh. Then he looked at his arms. The skin was immaculate, even more than before, it had an almost dazzling radiance and felt like it was supposed to feel: smooth and cold. Hardly able to tear himself away from the new sight, Juan got to his feet and looked down. Jordana (and Gary, of course) had done a fabulous job: He had the same marble white skin everywhere, like he was just newborn.

Another sigh came from his lips, but this time he sounded more like a child in a candy store. 'Ooh, look at me,' he wanted to say in this short fit of infantilism, yet this time he caught his tongue and said instead, "Now this… is better." He looked around and found Jordana standing by the kitchen bar, busily trying to get rid of the stinking layer on her hands. The stench of benzine made him want to recoil, but the need to touch her was stronger. And her hands were occupied, which was the better. He pressed his naked body against her so that the centre of his attention was unmistakably in the back of her backside, then breathed into her ear, "I need a shower, Jordana."

Looking up and over Jordana's shoulder, he saw Maria smirk. He usually liked her sense of humour, however right now the need was stronger, and so he squinted at her, giving her the order (in Spanish) to immediately help the girl and stop grinning. Knowing her master too well, Maria hastened to obey. The way she treated Jordana's hands with the cleaning utensils made clear that she had done so before. Meanwhile, Juan had nothing better to do than to pay a bit more oral attention to Jordana's ears. When the deed was done, he finished by grazing the skin of her neck with his teeth before withdrawing into the bathroom. He left the door open and said, looking at her from under his eyelashes, "Are you coming? We have some fun before we go out, shall we?"

ooo

Jordana wasn't really surprised when Juan leaned in against her, making it apparent where his interests lay. She'd had hints that the older vampire liked a bit of pain, but hadn't until now grasped just how much. "_I need a shower, Jordana_." In answer she just chuckled, still intent on cleaning the compound off her hands, but looked up as her companion swiftly gave an order to Maria in Spanish.

The blond was left to stand still and hold out her hands as Maria, who seemed to be well versed in this, began to make progress where she had failed. As the servant was about finished, Juan distracted her with a nip of teeth, then being a tease, moved towards the bathroom. _"Are you coming? We have some fun before we go out, shall we?"_

"My aren't we impatient," Jordana smirked to Maria who was drying her own hands on a kitchen towel. Without another word she followed the dark haired man and closed the door behind her. Juan was already under the spray as she stripped down, and turned as she slid in next to him, "Anxious to try out that new skin, are we?" she laughed. She reached out letting the warm water wash the last of the cleaner off her hands, then smoothed her fingers over Juan's chest. "Very nice, the Nosferatu deserve whatever you paid them. I'd say you're good as new." Her eyes locked on to his, "Everything in working order?" She teased.

ooo

Juan snarled playfully, then answered, "Purrfect working order, gatita." He mirrored her touch, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of water running over the two of them. It made him feel clean for some precious moments, and right now he wanted to feel spotless. The thought made him chuckle softly. Who would have thought it, this girl got under his skin, literally. The more he mused on this while running his hands all over her body with his eyes still closed, the more he realized how hilarious it all was, and this in turn made him laugh.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the feeling washed away, making place for a different one. He knew he would have to leave town eventually, and that also meant to leave Jordana. He had learned long since that there existed no real love for his kind, and that he could not afford such weakness especially once he took up his new position in another city. But right now, she was there, she felt good, and even more important, she made him feel good. There was no need to spoil the mood. He opened his eyes, looking into hers, not sadly at all, yet quite seriously. "Dejo mi corazón en tus manos. Pero no lo dejes caer…" He knew she did not understand half of it, but she was such an unusual Brujah that he also knew she would understand, after all.

Of course, Jordana was still so young, almost human as it were. Apart from the fact that this opened up a handful of possibilities in the field of calculation, at present she obviously wanted him to show just how operational his system was. He himself did not really feel like doing the plain old thing right now. Strange enough, he did not even want to think about it, even though he had started to tease her initially. If he started games now, though, the night would doubtlessly pass without a chance of them getting on the road. But he needed to go hunting, too; they both could do with some fresh vitae.

There was so much he longed to do, he could feel his skin burning from within – or maybe it was only a side effect of the cure, or perhaps it was also this unusual feeling of affection for Jordana that set him on fire. He did want to please her, if only to reward her for her assistance, and so he finally resolved to confine himself to good old plain sex. The effect this all had on him was enough to provide an almost mortal sensitivity, even without any drugs, so that it turned out to be in fact the best and cleanest thing he had done for years. And, to his own surprise, it left even Juan spent and satisfied this time, simultaneously filling him with a light-heartedness he had been missing for a long time.

Being in that trancelike state, it was a most natural thing for Juan to kiss her afterwards, and to do so as honestly and sweetly as ever possible. The shower was running cold, and the water washed away his tears of gratitude. He was even close to tell her about his true feelings, alas, about the truth. On second thoughts, he used his mouth not to say anything, but to carefully pierce Jordana's skin and drink some of her vitae. The blood bond he shared with Sebastien prevented him from any other bond, but this she could not know. It was meant to be a kind gesture as well as a strategic move. If he was lucky, he would bind her in turn.

ooo

While the two Kindred were standing under the shower, Juan's cell phone rang. Maria looked up, but she knew better than to answer a call that was meant for her master. And so, the ringing tone went on and on, quite unheard. At the other end, an extremely good-looking dark-haired man was sitting in a wine cellar on an ancient four poster bed, the faded pink covers of which were moving as if something was lying underneath and the Ventrue had almost sat on it. Sebastien had noticed the movement behind him when he dialled Juan's number, but as there was nothing he could do about it, he had merely turned away in order to concentrate on the phone call.

The something he had missed by an inch was not only moving; it was angry. There she had aspired to drive them all out of her house, and now this: A new load of them had arrived, and this gentleman even dared to sit down on her bed. She rose out of the brittle satin grand couvre like a purple demon, her pretty face twisted into something dreadful, the cloak-like mass of her white blonde hair moving as if it had a life of its own, and the delicate white hands formed into talons, ready to attack. Right when she was about to realise that those hands could not leave a mark on his neck because they were in fact quite ghostly, the offender turned to look at her, still holding the cell phone to his ear.

Sebastien looked into a translucent face, the features of which rapidly changed from utter rage to rabbit-like awe. His eyes wandered to slender hands, left and right of his shoulders, the nails that had formed into claws quickly withdrawing, leaving the fingers as soft and childlike as the rest of the ghost. And there was no question that this was a ghost of a young woman he was looking at, a spectre in white frills and purple silk, with a girlish face and the longest hair he had ever seen. Without changing his own expression, Sebastien remained listening into the cell phone, however at the same time he tried to transfer a certain urgency via their link, well aware that Juan was probably too far away to notice anything.

She cried out. It was an ear-splitting wailing sound, something that would deafen even a Brujah with high potence and fortitude, and Sebastien had nothing of the sort. Hence, he almost dropped the phone, yet clung to it, although he would not discern any kind of ringing tone any more after the crying had stopped, apart from the ringing noise in his own head. What is more, there was a myriad of feelings washing over him, a mixture of sadness and despair and rage and desperation that made his mind spin.

When it finally did stop, he closed his eyes, trying to re-boot. Even though he was half deaf and shaking from the sheer impact this all had on him, there was no reason to lose his countenance. And where were his manners? He had not even introduced himself to her. In an attempt to straighten up while still sitting on this ridiculous bed, Sebastien bowed slightly. "Sebastien de Gers," he said. "And I am optimistic that there will be a possibility to resolve your problems, if I may say so. Right now, dear mademoiselle, I would be obliged if you let me call my father and thus refrain from resounding. I am quite convinced that he will be much more of a help than I might ever be. This, however, would require that I can hear him." He cleared his throat and added, "You do have quite an impressive voice."

ooo

Stepping under the shower with a saucy smile on her lips, Jordana looked up into Juan's eyes as he playfully snarled at her. She watched as he closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the moment. Jordana had expected tonight to be somewhat different, what with Juan finding her in a compromising position the previous night, along with his childe. But it was different in a way she couldn't quite put a finger on.

Her companion seemed almost thoughtful in his actions, playing none of the games she was beginning to associate with him. And she certainly wasn't complaining, as she enjoyed Juan's ministrations, taking pleasure where it was given. His kiss given sweetly took the blonds breath away, or would have if she'd been mortal, and she barely noticed when the water began to run cold over their satisfied bodies.

When Juan's fangs pierced her flesh, Jordana had a déjà vu moment where she almost gave into an overwhelming panic. It wasn't that she feared he would kill her, even last night it hadn't been the issue. No, what she feared was that her own desire would let him, if he chose to. And then in a brief moment the girl relaxed, trusting Juan, loosing herself in the divine pleasure that for a kindred was much keener than mere sex.

ooo

He could feel her tense up, then relax again in his arms, and it crossed Juan's mind that this was more than mere trust Jordana exhibited. With a smirk, he let go and licked the wound clean. Yes, of course, he remembered: she liked it dangerously much when another Kindred drank from her, she enjoyed at least a little bit of this exquisite pain that would so easily mingle with pleasure, and all this made her such a perfect match for himself. It would be a pity to finally leave her, and he even contemplated to take her with him. Maybe he could extend his stay to some degree, just to give them both the chance to plunge into the depths together and see just how deep they went for her. Maybe he would know how to decide then. Right now, however, he knew he must not give in to temptation.

Instead of following Jordana's obvious desire to be drained, Juan looked at his companion in a partly expectant, partly teasing manner. She was young and obviously alone. How could she know about such things as blood bonds? And even if she knew, maybe she would not care right now. But she had proved to be useful, and the more he (and, if possible, Sebastien too) bound her, the better. It would be highly entertaining to watch her try to struggle out of it again, and he was quite convinced that Jordana was a formidable fighter, even when it came to her own inclinations. (Of course, all this contributed to the fact that for the moment it efficiently and completely slipped his mind that he was falling in love with her, anyway, and thus lied to himself.)

What a prospect indeed. He snarled again, licking his lips, and said, "Take me, Jordana." Then he bent his head back and closed his eyes again, with the cold water running over his smooth face and his black hair, and his arms stretched out as if he wanted to say, 'You are my destiny, and I am but a slave, helpless and wanting.' In spite of this position, he had to chuckle. This was so very well-worn, and just because of that also so very funny. Life had many entertaining facets, and Juan was easily amused.

ooo

Feeling Juan pull his fangs away from her throat, Jordana let her eyes drift closed savoring the moment. She knew they were going to have to get on with their night soon, and for the first time felt the change in the water falling from above. Not quite at the point of uncomfortable but not as nice as it had been.

"Take me, Jordana." Blue eyes snapped open, and the blond peered up at her companion. Before she knew it her mouth was open, sharp teeth even brushing against the delicate skin of Juan's neck. She wanted to...needed to...but couldn't. It was an inner struggle not to pierce the thin barrier, and let his rich essence flow down her throat. Rodrigo's strong voice reverberated around her head...'Never take another kindred's blood… unless you intend to be bound to one another, or plan on ending his existence'... he had warned sternly.

Pulling back Jordana pushed Juan away. "I can't...can't do that." She spun out of the shower, grabbing a towel, and furiously began rubbing her skin. She was more angry at herself then she was at her companion, for letting herself be drawn in by her newfound weakness.

ooo

The adolescent ghost hesitated, looking up at Sebastien with one delicate finger on her mouth, blinking her big translucent eyes. "Who is this you call your father?" She blinked again, obviously much more than necessary, as blinking in itself seemed highly redundant for a spectre, yet certainly enhanced the effect of helplessness. Sebastien looked back and right into these strange eyes, and deciding that there was no point in waiting for Juan to finally pick up the phone, he pushed the disconnect button and slipped the cell phone back into its pocket. Then he cleared his throat.

"My father is Jacques Lavalle," he said majestically. "He is the new proprietor of this residence." Quite contrary to his expectations, the ghost did not immediately start wailing again. Quite the reverse, she looked almost intrigued by the thought that the new owner of this house was obviously someone quite different to the ones that had been occupying the building for the months past. "Is he as beautiful as you are?" she asked. "Does he know how to behave?"

Now it was Sebastien's turn to blink. "By my troth! I must admit," he answered, "that I cannot give you an appropriate answer to this question, my dear mademoiselle. In fact, the mere aspect of beauty has never really disclosed itself to me, and I believe that this estimation, especially regarding my father, has to be incumbent upon the eye of the beholder." He excluded the aspect of behaviour, for it was none of his concern really, and waited what would happen next. When he remained sitting stock-still, she slowly moved towards him, the white curls of her hair looming around her like a huge ominous cloud, her pale face stopping only inches away from his nose.

"I want to see him," she finally said with a squint. "Tell him that I want to talk to him." Her body floated a little bit up into the air while her face stayed in front of Sebastien's, so that she was almost lying in the air facing him, and she stretched out her slender hand. When she touched his face with her fingertips, even the vampire realized that her fingers were ice-cold, to such a degree that they left a slight mark on his cheek. And yet, he made no move to recoil. "You have one day," she said, then vanished with a tinkling laughter, and when Sebastien looked around, he realized that the walls had vanished, too. Only the strong scent of lavender lingered in the air.

He got up somewhat stiffly and walked upstairs, involuntarily brushing with his hand the spot where hers had touched him. Just when he was about to open the cellar door, it was pulled open from the other side and a highly concerned Liberty looked up at him. "Thank god you're here. Where have you been?" she inquired. "We've been looking for you everywhere, and there was this wall down there, and – you must have heard us, no?" She looked her master up and down, then gave a little yell. "What happened to your cheek?"

Sebastien brushed past her. "It is nothing." He turned to look at her. "I do hope you did not spend the whole time merely looking for me. Keep in mind that the entrance has to be cleared before father arrives." With that, he strode along, followed by his loyal servant, in order to ensure how far they had proceeded without him. He found that they had cleared the entrance hall and one of the main rooms almost sufficiently and wondered how long he had been sitting in the cellar. Come to think of it, maybe even the phone did not work properly down there. He took it out and tried to call Juan once more.

ooo

So… Jordana might be young and inexperienced, but she turned out to be far from ignorant. Her reaction made Juan feel both disappointed and intrigued. To be rejected like this was a rare occasion, yet not entirely new to him, and thus did not stir him very much. However, to miss the chance to bind her… well, that was annoying. He watched her spin away and out of the shower, and then he had to smile nevertheless, realizing just how angry she was – how close she had been to giving in to him after all. He turned the water off, stepped outside, too, the smile still on his lips, and silently took another deep red towel, then was enraptured for a moment by the feel of the soft cloth touching his new skin, sliding over it like silk on steel.

The sensation calmed his spirits. He could still feel Jordana's anger, but he hoped that it would not drive her away from him. He did not feel the need for an excuse, either, but he would give her an explanation if she asked for it. Well, it was only one more detail to make up for, and he planned to make her forget her anger pretty soon. Before Jordana could leave the bathroom, Juan leaned across the doorframe, blocking her way, and looked her in the eye. His disappointment had vanished as soon as he had got involved in touching himself, and all there was left now was the feeling of respect and affection. No words were needed. He knew she would see it in his eyes.

Once again, Jordana had proved herself extraordinary, not only regarding her willpower. She stirred his blood, she was his muse. How could he dare consider to leave her? Nothing of the sort! He would rather stay as long as it took, then take her with him – if she agreed. Making up his mind, Juan commenced to say, "Jordana, my love. If you want, I would be willing to…" Just then, he heard the phone ring. He would have loved to ignore it this time, but it would neither stop, nor could he suppress the feeling of urgency, arising from his instincts as well as transferring over the bond between him and Sebastien. With an expression of honest regret, he halted, held up his hand to show that he was not finished yet, then stepped past the blonde and went to answer the call.

ooo

The blond knew that her companion followed her out into the bathroom, but she refused to look his way. Instead she busied herself by flopping the towel over her head and rubbing her hair as if it was the most important thing of the moment. But even she knew she couldn't hide under the cloth forever.

"_Jordana, my love. If you want, I would be willing to…"_

Hearing Juan's voice, Jordana lowered the towel, and looked at him. But even as she waited for the remainder of the sentence, the phone cut into whatever he'd been about to say. He held up a hand, obviously not happy with the interruption, and hurried to catch the call.

'Willing to what?' Jordana wondered, watching her companion's retreating back. It was a good thing, possibly, after all that they had been interrupted... It gave her time to think about what had happened. Was Juan trying to bind her to him? He was quite a bit older than she, and must know what the implications of his request could be. Jordana's gaze moved to him, watching as he answered the call. Suspicion laced her thoughts while Jordana picked up her clothes and began to dress.

Jordana's temper was holding at a simmer as she dressed, and she decided that maybe spending the evening on a lone hunt with time to think things over might not be a bad idea. Juan had been talking, nothing more than background noise to her troubled mind, when something in his tone changed. It pulled her from her own thoughts and Jordana began listening to his side of the conversation.

ooo

Juan had been listening to Sebastien's quiet voice and was once again grateful for his son's faultless ability to tell things exactly how they were. It was, as if he had been there himself: Sebastien enumerated all the facts, including details, exact words and the tenor of emotions, if involved by the other party, to be precise. His only imperfection was, that Sebastien had set the priorities differently: He had started by describing the relevant changes the servants had made thus far, and only then related the incident with the ghost, as if it was of minor interest.

"You say she was able to touch you, and she left a mark?" Juan said, unnecessarily repeating his son's words. "_Qué coño pasa aquí…_ Is it still there?" His brow went up when Sebastien answered in the affirmative and finished the little cellar story by mentioning Liberty's comment on the time that had passed meanwhile. "_Oye, hijito_," he then said, "Do not go downstairs again. _Comprendido_? Tell the others that they should keep together." He raised his hand and indignantly, alas! almost nervously smoothed back his hair. "I do not care whether the hall is ready or not. Keep it low until we're there. And I want you all to steer clear of that spirit. We are on our way."

He looked up while putting the receiver down and smiled grimly when he saw that Jordana was still disgruntled. Well, how could she not hold a grudge against him after what he had tried to do? Right now, though, any kind of reconciliation would have to wait, and he needed her – in more than one way. Catching Jordana's eye, he turned his grim smile into something more friendly and shrugged as if saying, 'Come on, a boy can try, no?' But instead he said, "I fear that we will have to drive to our new residence _instanter_. Bastien seems to have some minor problems with the… uh huhuh, formerly owner."

He went to the wardrobe and picked out a black silk shirt, a white tie and a pin-striped tripartite suit. Then he slipped into the inevitable black Sanchos that had to go with it, looked at Jordana once more and put down his foot in the tight-fitting boot. "Look, _corazoncito,_"he said "I apologize, with all my heart. I got carried away. You know how it is, do you not, my love. Do not turn away from me because of a little _glissade de caractère_." Adjusting his tie, he gave Jordana the best charming smile he had, and this time he could not keep himself from adding a sprinkle of presence, just to make sure it worked.

ooo

Her temper forgotten momentarily, as a feeling of unease crept over her, Jordana continued to slowly pull her clothes on while listening to Juan's side of the conversation. _"Do not go downstairs again. Comprendido? Tell the others that they should keep together…." _Finished with her wardrobe, the blond began to run the brush that had been sitting on the counter, through her hair, confused by the only side of the conversation she could hear. What in the world was going on over there?

"……_And I want you all to steer clear of that spirit. We are on our way."_ From where she stood Jordana could watch Juan through the mirror, and her eyes grew wide at his last comment, and then she saw him set the phone back in place and meet her gaze. Just looking into his eyes reminded her of their little scene in the shower, and her anger flared back to life. She was mad at Juan, but even more, angry at herself for being a fool around not only him, but Bastien as well. And it was way easier to let anger rule than show embarrassment.

She turned, letting the brush click against the tile as she let it go, to face her companion. And Jordana almost smiled when she saw the gesture he made, catching herself just in time. _"I fear that we will have to drive to our new residence instanter. Bastien seems to have some minor problems with the… uh huhuh, formerly owner."_ Juan moved over to his closet, and Jordana moved over to sit on the corner of the bed, watching as he picked out his clothes and dressed.

When he was finished the dark haired vampire turned to her again, apologizing for his slip, and giving her his best charming smile: the one that did things to her insides and had her forgiving him almost anything. Almost. Jordana knew she was going to have to be a little more diligent about not losing herself with Juan…or Bastien for that matter. "So…what has Howard done now?" she asked, mistaking her companion's words.

ooo

Juan enjoyed watching the rapid change of emotions that showed in Jordana's air and eyes in spite of her endeavour to cover them, like clouds chasing each other on a light blue sky. When finally the hint of a smile stole onto her pretty features, he felt the shiver of triumph ripple down his spine, but being well aware of her tendency to change temper fairly promptly, he knew better than to show his enjoyment about this admittedly quite cheap victory. He stepped towards her and played with a lock of her golden hair. "Howard has done nothing this time," he said and laughed. "Unusual, yes, but this time the wrongdoer is someone else, someone who substantially contributed to our good Howard's speedy retreat – or in our case I should rather say, insubstantially."

He took Jordana's hand and kissed it, first on the back and then on the palm, and he even took the liberty of patting her backside while passing. On the way to the elevator, he had another good look at himself in the big mirror, then caught the keys Maria threw him just in time and turned elegantly as if the impact made him rotate. "Come on, my love," he said. "You do not want to miss it." His eyes glowed with anticipation, and with a mischievous grin he added, "If I am not very much mistaken, we might make a rare acquaintance tonight: we will meet a real ghost!"

Waiting for the elevator, Juan felt the thrill spread like fire in his mind and body, and he looked at Jordana, knowing that the hunt eagerness showed in his face. This was going to be fun. Even his heart ventured some beats again, after all that time. Before the blonde could comment on what he had said before, though, he added, "Do I want to go there and find out? Yes. Do I want to go there right now? Yes. Do I want you to join me? Yes. Oh yes! Come on, _gatita_, let us go find out whether we can fight someone Howard fled." He stepped into the elevator and kept the door from closing.

ooo

Jordana couldn't help the roll of eyes as Juan patted her backside, on his way past. There was no cause to stop his flamboyant ways, so even when she noticed him admiring himself, the blond didn't say anything, only following him to the elevator.

All this talk of ghosts did have Jordana curious. At one time she would have scoffed at the idea, however, things, such as the fact of what she'd become gave her a much more open mind. Why not ghosts? She was living, or maybe not so much, that vampires existed. "...Come on, gatita, let us go find out whether we can fight someone Howard fled." Jordana turned an amused look toward her companion as the door slid closed. He certainly was eager to see this apparition. "Who says we will have to fight it at all? Maybe it's not so unfriendly."

On the ride down to the parking garage, Jordana thought over what she'd heard of Juan's side of the conversation. And she knew she was going to have see Bastien tonight. Just the idea made her quieter then usual, but Juan was wrapped up in the idea of seeing his new ghost. Finally she looked over at him, the boyish eagerness clearly beaming across his face.

"So what did this ghost do to Bastien? Or was it the others that discovered it?" The blond leaned casually against the wall of the small car, as the door slid open to allow them an exit. Stepping out daintily, Jordana turned to take Juan's arm as they walked to his car.

ooo

Juan answered Jordana's question on the way to the car. "She touched him," he said. He felt that this was the only explanation needed right now, and if they were really unlucky, the mark would still be there when they met Bastien, so that they could have a good look at it. At least, this would prove that they had a ghost with style. But Jordana was right, of course: they probably needed to find a way to communicate with their unexpected fellow occupant, rather than fight her. If he was completely honest to himself (which he rarely was), this was the main reason for his excitement. Having a powerful ghost as his friend meant having more power in general.

He sat down in his car. "I will not fight her, my dear," he said. "I will talk to her." Moving the TransAm outside, he let the windows slide open a bit to allow in the soft night air. It was a clear and warm night, and the breeze from the seaside reminded him of times long past and made him yearn for a distraction, a trip, or at least a good hunt. He drove the car along the now familiar route and wearily looked out of the window. When he spotted a small gang of teenagers in a dark alley, he slowed the car down. By the look of it, they were exchanging some weird b-boying routines, and they were obviously on some kind of strong drug and enjoyed themselves greatly. It was just what he needed.

"Whatever it is they're on - I want it," Juan said, and made to park the car. Just in time, his eyes fell on Jordana, and her thoughtful glance reminded him of the mission they were on. "Of course I know that we have no time to lose," he added. "I merely want to look at the figures, I might use them in my new choreography. And I need a drink." Ignoring the hooting behind them, he parked the car, got out and walked towards them. The kids made some derisive remarks about his outfit, but Juan enveloped in his presence like in a well fitting cloak, and when he addressed the one he spotted as their 'leader,' they fell silent.

It was not only due to his presence that the kids listened to Juan. He knew how to talk their language, and his eagerness to learn their way to dance, as well as his ostensible respect for their culture was more authentic than they had ever experienced before. What is more, the drugs they were on made the whole incident incredibly funny, and they laughed and cheered when Juan copied a few of the movements and soon produced a stunning imitation, surpassing the original by far. They even did not stop laughing when one of them, a slightly exotic looking boy, sprained his ankle after absolving a complicated swipes spin that went well until Juan addressed him.

It was a matter of minutes, really. The vampire helped the boy up and made him sit down in a slightly distant corner, and while his friends went on with their exotic dance routines, Juan fed from his arm, his back turned to the others. He licked the wound clean before one of the boy's friends addressed him, asking if everything was all right. Then Juan turned to look where Jordana was. Just then, the drug that was in the boy's blood hit his system, and he felt the world swirl. Fighting the urge to stay right where he was, and to continue feeding on that delicious kid in order to get more of that precious intoxicant, he struggled to his feet.

"Everything is just fine," he said. The kid that was still sitting at the floor, lost in his own happy little world, groped for a pinstriped trouser leg, and Juan patted his head absentmindedly. The world around him became more and more colourful, and every movement seemed to leave an iridescent vapour trail. And yet, he had the distant feeling that there was something he had been about to do, something important. Right now, he just did not know what it had been. It simply slipped away.

* * *

_To be continued... _


	18. Chapter 18

_For disclaimer please see chapter 1_

* * *

Chapter 18

Jordana gave Juan a curious look when he told her all the ghost had done was touch Bastian, but she made no further comment, only watching as he moved around the outside of the car and slid behind the wheel. However she did smile when he agreed to only talk to this spirit. The blond leaned her head back against the seat, enjoying the night breeze coming in through the open windows, letting her companion concentrate on the road.

When she felt the car slow, Jordana turned her head without raising it, to look at the driver as he commented on the teens they were passing. "Whatever it is they're on - I want it," A negligible shake of her head was the only reply given as she watched Juan park the car. She could have laughed when he told her he knew they didn't have much time to waste and only wanted to watch for a bit. Jordana knew the gleam in his eye meant trouble, and she wouldn't be disappointed. He fit right in with the crowd, and the blond stayed back at the fringe only watching. Her gaze followed knowingly when he moved away with the boy in order to feed.

Emboldened by the absence of her companion, several of the boys moved in closer to the blond, and their pick up attempts as lame as they were made Jordana smile. The next time she looked Juan was sprawled against the building next to the sitting boy. And she could see he was intoxicated. "Boys," she said turning to look at the mortals, pulling a wad of cash from her pocket, "Help me get my friend into the car, and this is yours." It didn't take a second asking for them to grab Juan under the arms and move him into the passenger seat.

With a sweet smile Jordana let the bills fall to the ground and strolled to the drivers side amid several whistles. "Thanks," she purred, sliding into the car and starting the engine. Looking over at the tripping vampire beside her, Jordana was beginning to understand why Sebastian took his duty so seriously. "What are we going to do with you, Juan?" she laughed softly, driving toward the mansion.

ooo

He could have fought the effect of the drug easily by simply expending some energy and some blood, however Juan preferred to let himself be pampered by Jordana's affectionate and almost motherly care and pretend to be weaker than he actually was. It was fun to give in to it, to play the helpless and to be helped by her and those pathetic and ever so fragile kids. For a moment, he again felt almost human, and if anything, this alone made the little excursion worthwhile.

The vampire chuckled when Jordana searched his pockets for the car key, and he did not stop laughing quietly even when she manoeuvred the TransAm out into the traffic. She seemed to enjoy herself greatly as well, and admittedly, it had been a delight to see how the boys almost fell over each other in their eagerness to help the beautiful girl with her drunken lover. He wondered whether she had had the chance to have a sip, too, but she was obviously wise enough to refrain from this special vintage and gracefully took the lead.

When she chided him, Juan endeavoured to suppress his mirth and keep a straight face, but he could not keep it down, especially when the tinkling sound of her own laughter joined his own. This was hilarious, the more he thought about it. There he was, in the middle of a transaction, in the middle of this accursed city, with his son waiting for him to arrive in order to meddle with a powerful ghost, and he felt as inebriated as he could possibly feel. He knew that it could get much worse, but right now, it was bad enough. They needed the house, and they needed it clear, and Juan needed a clear head. The sooner they could begin with their business, the better. He wanted to make money, and that fast, and then leave for another city.

ooooo

Had he been capable of a tiny little soupçon of emotionality, one could have been completely justified in saying that Sebastien was annoyed. He had been waiting for his father for more than three quarters of an hour, and even if he took into account that they had probably not departed immediately in spite of his words, they should have arrived by now.

He was standing in the doorway, his eyes locked on the open gate, with the soft sound of the working servants in the rear, and everybody incessantly on the watch for anything unusual like lavender scents or moving walls. Up to then, she had remained astoundingly quiet. This was, if truth be told, no wonder, as she had precisely declared her conditions and set a deadline. Sebastien, however, never trusted anyone, especially if the person involved was feminine, and if said person was a ghost, this made him only more determined in his distrust.

When he was just about to reach for his cell phone once more in order to remind his father of his duty, the tasteless TransAm came bouncing up the driveway. Sebastien narrowed his eyes while he watched the car come to a sweeping halt. His instincts told him otherwise, yet he was too used to greeting his father at the driver's side, and it would never have appeared to him that there could be an alternative – specifically someone else driving. Hence, he was completely unprepared to meet Jordana instead of Juan when the door swung open. This time, she managed to leave him speechless.

ooo

Jordana wasn't totally unaware that had he wanted to Juan could have forced the poison out of his system, or even asked to stop for some clean liquid, enabling it to be diluted as it coursed through his veins. She too would have liked her dinner, but refused to feed from dopers, even knowing the effects weren't lasting to her kind. No, instead she let the older vampire sitting next to her have his games and enjoy his high. The blond even gave herself a brief smile, knowing she was playing his game as well.

As the younger vampire made the turn down the long drive, before the house actually came into view, she wondered how well Sebastien was taking to having to wait so long for his father. Just thinking his name drove a little thrill of... what? anxiety, that was all it was, through her body.

Well, it looked like she was about to find out, seeing him waiting by the driveway as the car turned the last corner. "Looks like Bastien's anxious for your presence," she said to Juan as the car came to a stop. It never occurred to Jordana that Bastien would come up, and as she opened the door, stepping out, she almost ran straight into him.

"Bastien," she said breathlessly, hoping he didn't notice, and sidestepping to try to put a little room between them. Of course she had no doubt he was unaffected by their close encounter, even if she wasn't. "Ask him why we're late," she tried for nonchalance, waving a hand as she gave Juan a sly smile.

ooo

Sebastien opened and closed his mouth again when Jordana almost bumped into him, and the feeling of apprehension she radiated did not make any sense to him at all. Then he remembered the unfortunate occurrence of last night, and a short logical reflection brought him to the conclusion that she must regard the incident not as an unpleasant one only, but also as a frightful one; a fact he could scarcely accept as true, for it did not fit the image he had had of her before. What is more, he felt a most strange sensation himself, something that could best be described as a slight disposition, but he put it down to the inconvenient memories.

The sound of her voice did not improve matters. For the flash of a moment, the images of last night washed over him once more, and he immediately understood that he would have to fortify himself even more in order not to be caught unawares. He looked at Jordana sharply, with his face as straight as always, yet he felt that something had changed between them, and he could not for his unlife say what it was. Thus, he was almost grateful when she mentioned the delay, and he fixed his eyes on his father instead. "Now, now, father," he said. "I daresay. This is a most inconvenient moment for you to get inebriated. I implore you to immediately discontinue."

ooo

It was a mistake. Admittedly, what Sebastien said was completely justified, yet right now it was the wrong choice of words at the wrong moment. The fact that the anger rising inside of him had an immediate sobering effect did not contribute to Juan's happiness. He got out of the car in one swift movement and came to stand between Jordana and his son.

"How dare you," he said to Bastien, his voice seemingly friendly as usual, but with that familiar edge that showed the real emotions hidden behind it. Sebastien boldly answered his glance, but he almost drew back when he felt what transferred through the bond. "How dare you talk to me like that," Juan repeated, raising his voice. "How dare you order me around, and what is more, in front of others, especially after what you've done last night." The more he talked, the stronger did he show his annoyance. Sebastien had always been his favourite child; right now, however, he was almost willing to discard of him.

The harsh words that carried through the soft night air had made the ghost curious. While the two vampires were standing there, arguing, facing each other, almost nose to nose, none of the two realized that she drifted closer at high speed. Just then, Juan got a grip on himself in spite of his indignation. He had learned long since that it was unwise to get oneself carried away by the temper, and that it was best to ignore its cause until things had calmed down. Hence, he tore away from the equally annoyed Sebastien - and by a hair's breadth missed the ghost girl who had stopped right behind him.

"And what are you looking at?" he snarled at her, realizing too late that she was translucent, floating in front of him, and about to frown. Upon those words, her frown changed into a grimace, then a snarl, and her white talons extended once more. And then she lifted her arms and screamed.

ooo

Jordana didn't expect an exuberant greeting from Bastien, but the cool attitude he gave her wasn't much to her liking either. She was a woman not used to being treated indifferently. She'd been spoiled, and in turn even treated like street trash in her life…or unlife, but indifferent? Never. It almost made her say something she might later regret, however he'd already turned his attention to his father.

As he spoke sternly to the older vampire, the blond chose to move back, allowing room for Juan to step between the pair. She could see just by his body language that her companion was angry, even without catching sight of his face. Well, it wasn't anything Sebastien didn't deserve, acting like they'd never shared an intimate moment. Juan's word were even and steady, he didn't raise his voice, but his displeasure came across loud and clear. And Jordana even gave her own little comment in the form of an unladylike snort when he got to the part about last night. She'd been embarrassed and a bit apprehensive about seeing the younger vampire tonight…and although she'd never admit it, even a little excited. But Sebastien in his own unique way killed all that.

Standing back, Jordana had so far stayed out of the argument. But as she watched it seemed that the air behind Juan started to shimmer, and grow dense almost like a growing fog. She had just opened her mouth to call Juan's name when he swung around, shouting at the newly formed ghost. The blonde's blue eyes widened and she threw her hands over her ears as an unearthly scream split the night air.

ooo

No matter what more he was about to say, the words ebbed unheard under the ghostly noise, and feeling that a slight vertigo got hold of him, Juan closed his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jordana cover her ears, turning back he also saw that even Sebastien did not stay unaffected this time: In fact, while he tried to remain standing as he were, his features showed a fraction of despair, probably due to both the chiding and the screaming, and his reaction would have stirred Juan, had he not had the vital feeling that his ears were about to be screwed off.

Maybe it was the residue of the strong and strange drug he had imbibed with the blood, or maybe it was merely his vast experience with the unexpected, that kept his mind considerably clear, after all. Wincing at the high pitch, he stretched his hand out in front of him, seeing it tremble, and took the shimmering pale hand of the ghost in order to act as if he was planting a kiss on the back of it. It was unearthly cold, the touch immediately shooting white hot pain up his arm, but he was deliberate not to let go until the screaming stopped.

To his utter relief, she stopped the noise fairly soon. Behind his back, Juan heard Sebastien sigh. Yes, the boy was right: it was not the screaming only, but also the feelings of despair it conveyed, and Sebastien lacked the skills to defend himself against such strong emotions, hence they had a tendency to go right through him. Juan felt affected, too, but in contrast to his son, the feelings were not entirely new to him. Consequently, he let go of the hand as gracefully as possible and as soon as he deemed adequate, and bowed courteously. Then he looked the strange ghost into the translucent big eyes and saw to his delight that she seemed to be calming down and even looked at him with surprise.

"Jacques Lavalle, at your service," he said. "Mademoiselle, I am inconsolable to see that our dispute disturbed you, and I am most willing to see to it that you will get all the comfort you need." His arm still hurt, and his hand had gone numb; luckily his skin was that pale that it would not show, and he refrained from rubbing it. He knew better than to comment on the scream, either, and while he tried to focus on the fragile looking, yet obviously quite powerful thing in front of him, he made a silent prayer that Jordana would not overreact – for example the way Howard and his people must have done. The ghost had not completely settled down yet, and it probably did not take much to make her scream again.

ooo

Widened blue eyes blinked, watching Juan reach out and take what appeared to be an opaque hand. And when the high pitched sound ceased, Jordana even let her hands drop away from her ears. However she still had the presence of mind to take several steps backward, so that Bastien stood between her and Juan with his ghost. 'Damn,' she thought, 'a real ghost. The awe of seeing something she never took for real still didn't make the blonde want to get any closer... let Juan with his inquisitive nature take the chances. If he wanted.

And it seemed he did, as he began by introducing himself to the ghostly girl. And of course there was no surprise on the young vampire's part when he started charming her. Jordana didn't think it mattered much to Juan that he was conversing with a wraith, she was still a woman. Keeping her distance, for a false sense of safety, Jordana gave the pair an eye roll. What else could she do, not wanting to cause this creature to start screaming again. Her gaze, however, strayed to Bastien, letting her sight move over his straight stiffened back, while she wondered what he thought of this new development. She was certain he didn't like the change of plans... no, not Bastien.

ooo

He had watched his father react towards the ghastly girl in the exact manner he had expected him to display. While he felt the last waves of emotion wash over him and cease ever so slowly, Sebastien contemplated turning away and going back to the house. The deed had been done, the object dealt with, and there was nothing left to do for him apart from commanding the servants to prepare a room for their master and the guest; the guest that was watching him quite intently, as he observed while turning, and whose expression suddenly reminded him again of the night they had shared.

He would have liked to convince himself that he had already forgotten all about it. But no, he had to admit, his memory was clear as ever, yet he had refrained from thinking of the incident, and only moments ago he had even dared to play it down. His father had all the right in the world to chide him for that. Still shaken by the unusual amount of feeling that had transferred from the ghost, as well as by the penetrating shrillness of her voice, the dark vampire stopped in mid-turn and looked at Jordana, completely and utterly at a loss.

Flashbacks of her lying, moving, moaning underneath him suddenly haunted his mind: an occurrence that had – in this intensity - never happened before in his entire existence. While once again he could not for his unlife tell why his mind chose to replay these sequences, he had the distinct impression that he should say something wise, preferably diplomatic, or even plainly nice. For one thing was clear: He suddenly knew that the incident had in fact not been an unpleasant one at all, at least not for the better part of it.

In the immaculate structure of his mind, the cogwheels were twirling. When they finally clinked into their new pattern, the conclusion was highly interesting. He raised a mental eyebrow at the result, not aware that he was looking at Jordana all the time with a most contradictory expression. But of course: Jordana must share the same twisted interests his father preferred, and he had simply been too polite to notice before. He allowed himself a wry smile. Now that this was settled, he would surely know how to deal with the rest of it. It was all a matter of technique.

ooo

Fortunately, the ghost was an old one, and Juan knew well how to steer in ancient waters, in a manner of speaking. Had she been alive, or at least undead, it might have been love at first sight. As things were standing, though, this kind of love would surely lead him to his final death, and while he tried to engage in a courteous small talk with the lovely spectre, the vampire found it more and more difficult to keep from rubbing his still numb arm in order to get something close to feeling into it. For a moment, he even wondered if it would simply fall off after some time. Well, thoughts like these were futile now, but he would bear it in mind and refrain from further contact as far as possible, in case other things might fall off, too. Providentially, the ghost seemed to be content with talking to him. She introduced herself as Jamie – a name that came quite unexpectedly, however it made further introductions so much easier.

While talking to Juan, Jamie slowly stopped floating in front of him and moved from an almost horizontal to a vertical position so that her feet almost touched the ground and it appeared as if she was more or less standing on it. She was remarkably tiny, indeed no more than a girl. He wondered whether she would start screaming again when he asked her about her age, but what good would it do. It was vital to have her attention and good-will right now, and both he had. If he was adroit, he would have her loyalty, too.

While talking to Jamie, Juan noticed that Sebastien had focused all his attention on Jordana. There was something going on between the two of them… something special. Never before had he seen and felt Sebastien behave like this. This was highly interesting. He cocked an eyebrow and smiled. Highly interesting indeed. He would enjoy watching them, and especially Bastien, for some more time. Meanwhile, he would have to concentrate on making friends with Jamie.

ooo

The blonde stood back, her gaze trained on Sebastien, when he suddenly turned as if reading her thoughts. Jordana let her eyes slide away, moving her attention to Juan and the ghostly girl he was presently entertaining, not entirely liking the fact that the younger vampire had caught her watching him. On the outside she was the picture of cool, but underneath Jordana was conflicted, something she didn't want either of her companions to find out. And because of her fiery nature, the girl truly couldn't understand the coldness of Sebastien's temperament.

If the young hot-tempered vampire had been interested in this type of thing she would have been fascinated in the spectre as much as Juan was. But the only thing Jordana felt standing, waiting while they conversed was a growing boredom. She hated to be rude… oh who the hell was she kidding, she could care less whether she was rude, she just didn't want that creature screaming again. The only thing Jordana was thinking right now was how best to extricate herself so she could go inside. The servants would most likely have some semblance of comfort waiting... considering Bastien was in charge.

Oh yes, Bastien. When the man entered Jordana's mind again, she risked a quick glance, only to see him staring at her with the hint of a smile crossing his lips. "What are you staring at?" she growled softly, making her move and stepping past the group. She began walking across the drive toward the front entrance in hopes of escaping the strange encounter taking place in the yard. A grim smile crossed the blonde's lips, hidden from view as her back was turned to the others.

ooo

Juan continued watching the little interlude between Jordana and Sebastien from out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as Jamie's expression hinted at the mere possibility that this distraction could come as an insult, he focused on her once more. His mind was racing. What if he offered her his arm – and she accepted it? On a first impulse, he found the thought intriguing, but then again he did need his arm occasionally, and he still was not sure whether he would be able to use it after a little walk with Jamie. Hence, he fought the impulse and refrained from offering it – in a very literal sense.

But what else could he do? It felt a bit like talking to the king at court. The right steps could take you everywhere. One false step could take you anywhere. But whatever the cost, he would certainly try to prevent her from screaming. He heard Jordana growl something at Sebastien and then saw her stride towards the house. He had to say something bright, and do it fast. "What a wonderful house, mademoiselle," he said. "And how delightful to see we are neighbours. I take it you have an unparalleled knowledge about these compounds. I would be delighted if you granted me the favour of a grand tour."

For a moment, he saw the ghost hesitate. She obviously had not expected him to say that kind of thing, and the crunching noise Jordana's feet made on the gravel was somewhat distracting, yet the feelings she radiated seemed to settle, and even the air around her felt less cold. Then she blinked her shining big round eyes at him and breathed, "Yes, I might do that."

ooo

Bastien was at a loss when Jordana snarled at him. Her question was entirely justified, however he suspected that an answer, even if he had one at hand, would be inadequate. In consequence, he watched her leave, then turned his attention towards his father once more. Juan was engaged in what one could call a small talk with the ghost, a talent Sebastien did not share, a skill he had never adopted. As far as he could tell, they were about to pay the house another visit, and this time Juan trusted the ghost as far as to let her show the way. Very well. There were other things on his mind than caring for ghosts.

He looked at Juan. When he had his father's attention, he inclined his head slightly, stating the question in his mind. Juan reacted with a faint nod. At cue, Sebastien bowed politely at the ghost girl, actually clicking his heels while doing so, then he hastened to follow Jordana into the house. Juan could take care of himself, especially when he was together with anything female, no matter if it was a dog, ghost, or whatever else might spring to mind. In the house, Giorgio and Raphael were waiting for them. They were both wearing tattered jeans and tight fitting t-shirts, and their slightly flushed faces could tell that they had been moving furniture for the last few hours.

ooo

Jamie's translucent head turned to look after Bastien, and suddenly Juan realized that this delicate ghost girl just might be more interested in the son than in the father; which was perfect. Right now, though, he wished to smooth the way for him. Bastien could take over when she was ready. He would have to, as he was the new owner of the house.

Eventually, Sebastien would have to take over everything, including any girl Juan came across. He knew that such kind of thoughts were more than melancholy, yet he had to face it... When he realized that Jamie was eager to pursue Bastien towards the house, the tall old vampire let the ghost go first, then he gracefully followed her, his face a mask of merriment, without a trace of the sorrow behind.

ooo

Hitting the front porch, Jordana didn't bother looking back as she opened the door and strolled inside. She wasn't going to give Bastien the satisfaction of thinking she was pining over him. Her mood, however lifted upon stepping inside, at the sight greeting her. Giorgio and Raphael, flushed with life and good health, looking like they'd just stopped working, stood waiting. Their eyes lifted at the sound of the door, and had her heart been beating it would have skipped at the beautiful sight. Instead Jordana gave them a smirk, sauntering toward them, her hand fluttering to her chest. "My, don't you look good enough to eat," she laughed, trailing a finger across Giorgio's cheek while leaning in to kiss Rafe.

She heard the door open and close but ignored it, knowing Bastien had come in behind her. In fact Jordana made a show of engaging the pair of humans, after kissing Rafe she turned back to Giorgio, pressing herself to his lean form and sinking her fangs into his neck. She was turned so that while she fed, blue eyes lifted to the vampire at the door, a look of challenge directed at Bastien.

Jordana heard the sigh of disappointment as she released the human, but gave him a seductive smile. Turning to Rafe, Jordana squeezed the hand hanging at his side, "You look well…this life seems to agree with you." She led the way toward the recently moved furniture and sat down in the middle section of the couch, making a point of totally ignoring Bastien. But when she did finally give him her gaze it came accompanied with an arched brow. Oh she knew he probably didn't care but it was still fun trying to get under his skin…and try as he might to hide it, Jordana had discovered a little secret about the dark haired man. There was something there, buried deep within Sebastien, she was sure of it even though she had no proof. "Want to join us, Bastien?" Jordana purred as she gave him a smirk.

ooo

It was always perplexing to observe how his father allowed his momentary lovers to treat their precious 'employees'. Sebastien could have been offended by Jordana's audacious behaviour, but to his utter surprise, he was not. On the contrary, he remained standing in the doorway, watching Jordana feed on Giorgio, and he did not feel inclined to do anything about it. Again, her liveliness seemed to transpire, and some of it even dared touch Sebastien's otherwise well-armoured spirit. He cleared his throat when he heard his father pass behind with the ghost girl by his side, and he watched them go upstairs, then focussed on Jordana once more. The ghost was none of his business right now. Juan would tell him when to take over, as always.

He started to wonder why the blonde ignored him, he could not extrapolate what exactly she intended to do, but it dawned on him that the show she made was meant for him to watch. He would have liked to tell namely servants to hurry back to work, but something kept him from doing so. Then, seated on the dusty relic of a formerly noble chesterfield, Jordana looked at him, and as before, Sebastien's orderly world started to tumble.

When Giorgio saw the look in Sebastien's face, it was all he needed to see. He made a show of kissing Jordana's hand with a courteous bow, while with his other hand behind his back he signalled Rafe to move away. The young man did not get the message right away, but kissed Jordana back as if they had been lovers for the better part of the time, and only when Giorgio pulled him back did he realize that it was time to leave. For lack of a better word, Sebastien looked angry. Giorgio had rarely seen him look like this before.

It was not exactly anger Sebastien felt when he stepped towards Jordana. He himself could not have told what it was. But he felt moved to act, and the way she cocked an eyebrow at him made him again recall a certain event of a certain night past. And the way she talked… Had he not experienced situations like this hundreds of times? And had he not hundreds of times been at a loss what to do? And yet… This little smirk that had stolen itself onto his lips some moments before tried to creep up again, and he could hardly manage to keep it down.

"Jordana," he heard himself say. "You cannot possibly ask me to sit down on a moth-eaten settee, in addition the wood is full of worm-holes. It will most probably not carry the weight of all of us, and I have no intention to spoil my suit by means of a breakthrough."

He blinked, once and very slowly, while replaying his last words. Suddenly, the ambiguity was clear even to him, and he wondered what on earth had made him talk like this. Purpose being not viable, there was only the possibility left that it had been a slip of the tongue, which was just as unlikely. While his mind made a Boolean search for the real reason, Sebastien stood immobile like always, his features unchanged, yet his insides were comparably ruffled. It must have been something deep inside that had answered for him; this something that Jordana had made come to life, and said something disturbed the structure of Sebastien's intellect. What is more, the moment he realized this, he heard himself growl. He had to calm down. It would be easy if he just did what Javier had taught him. Strange enough, the thought of Javier made him snarl.

ooo

Jordana allowed her hand to be taken and kissed by the young ghoul knowing full well that his exit was a direct result of the undercurrent between her and the older vampire. However, Rafe seemed to not notice as he leaned in for a sweet kiss. It wasn't until Giorgio pulled him up that the boy seemed to take the less than subtle hint, and left the room following his companion.

"Oh Bastien, you run my playmates off," she gave him an innocently winsome look, "but refuse to play, yourself. What is a girl to do?" She clucked her tongue while gracefully rising from the dilapidated cushion, strolling up to, then behind the dark haired vampire. One hand rose, and a finger trailed over the back of his collar. "I'm sure it's not the suit your concerned with, now is it," she purred in Bastien's ear.

Not waiting for an answer Jordana continued, "But then, perhaps, I'm wrong and that is all you care about…thousand dollar suits." She had leaned in behind him, and the faintest breath tickled Sebastien's neck as the blond chuckled. The sound of his growl cut the merriment short for a brief second then the girl laughed again.

ooo

All Sebastien could do was stand still and endure her touch - all over again. This was still all new to him, and very strange. in spite of what had been going on between them. Whenever before he had been in a situation like this – and he had been in many situations very much like this – it had been easy to let things happen and wait until the persons concerned had done whatever they wanted to do, say whatever they wanted to say, and finally left his unlife - and the emotions they radiated had ebbed. These emotions had always gone right through him, yet they had never before affected him – until this time.

That he might be affected by anything was not part of his world of thought. And yet…This time, he was grateful that she only touched his collar. His predicament was that she did not only make him react, but she also made him dearly want to be seated. And he still did not want to grasp the reason why he felt that way, nor why he had never felt that way before. In fact, he saw no reason to feel at all. Stop. Reboot. After a second of contemplation, Sebastien felt able to think more orderly again, if but for the moment. Nevertheless, he felt inclined to say something nice, one might even say, to cheer her up. He just had no clue how to do that.

"I certainly care about the suits I wear," he said. "However, it was not my intention to be impolite." Her lips tickled his ear, and he could not prevent his head from turning towards her. His lips opened slightly, but the moment he realized this, he closed them again with another snarl and turned away. Had he not known better, he would have thought that he had been about to kiss her. 'And why,' he heard his father's voice in his mind, 'pray why would that be a problem, Bastien?' "Because I would end up just like him." To his utter dismay he realized that he had said the last sentence aloud.

ooo

He could not tell when exactly it happened, but Juan only noticed that Jamie had put her arm around his when his arm went numb. They had walked through several of the old rooms, run down by time, yet proof to the former wealth and style of its long deceased owners. This time, her touch did not only induce the kind of numbness that tended to ebb after a while, it was rather a profound and alarming lack of sensation, a coldness that crept up his arm and turned into white hot pain once it passed his shoulder, and it seemed to drain all energy out of him. He looked at her in alarm. When the ghost looked back, it was clear that she was not amused, nay, not at all. The feeling of a deep and unspeakable sadness that had hit him before came back with all its might, and he immediately knew what had to follow.

When the deafening wailing finally stopped, Juan found himself sitting on the floor, and the ghost gone. He must have passed out eventually, but he could not tell when. His hand and arm felt lifeless, he could not even lift it, and all in all he felt very cold indeed. How he longed for a hot shower, but of course the taps were not yet fixed. He tried to get up, but failed. "I did not mean to be rude, my lady," he said to empty room, "I only meant to preserve what is mine. I am dreadfully sorry, _de verdad_. " His voice sounded brittle, reverberating from the naked walls, and Jamie preferred to remain silent.

The next attempt to get to his feet was more successful, yet he still had to support himself against the wall, and he chuckled softly about his own folly. Maybe this was it. Maybe his unlife was forfeit, and this was the way it had to end. He had thought of a better way to go, preferably under Marie's loving care, but if destiny chose this for him, this it would be, who was he to contradict. He looked around and for a moment contemplated to lie down on the bed that stood in one corner of the room and simply let it be.

Then, fortunately, reason finally caught up, and Juan shook his head. "Not yet, hombre," he said to himself. "You give in to it now, you'll be a bloody coward." At that moment, some feeling came back into his hand, and a searing pain shot up his arm. At the same time, he felt that he was suddenly extremely hungry, and that he in fact did not want to end his unlife just like this. He ventured to move his fingers, but the effect was devastating, so he could easily abstain from a da capo. Instead, he stumbled out into the corridor and called out Sebastien's name.

ooo

Jordana was growing used to Sebastien's silences, and so let him take his time in answering. Always thinking things over …that was one of Bastien's problems in the Vampire girl's eyes. She continued to stand close. Sure, it must be annoying to her companion, however, he was too uptight to say anything or move away. _"I certainly care about the suits I wear, However, it was not my intention to be impolite."_ The blonde chuckled to herself…of course not, she thought, as his head turned toward her. Things seemed to be getting interesting, and then he growled turning back.

His next words, though, surprised Jordana, _"Because I would end up just like him."_ She got the impression by his body language that it hadn't been meant to come out…but once said it couldn't very well be taken back. Leaning in closer the blonde whispered in Bastien's ear, "Or maybe… be more like yourself." She didn't need to ask who he was. And if this one small crack in the dark haired vampire's façade could be widened, she'd do every thing she could to do just that.

Giving him time to think, Jordana slid her arm through Sebastien's. "So, why don't you show me what you've been doing here all evening. It certainly looks better than the last time I was here…but that could just be the absence of Howard."

ooo

His own last words had stirred Sebastien to such a degree that Jordana's action came as a welcome distraction. Like the last time they touched, her being that close to him did not feel so strange any more after he accustomed to it for a moment. It did of course raise memories, however this time in an interestingly pleasant manner, for said memories had put on a completely different colour. He even dared look at her once more, and the only thing he perceived was a kind of mutual accordance. Yes, this time he was prepared indeed. He remembered having felt equally when they were at the beach, only a few nights before. Like then, it crossed his mind that Javier might have been wrong. This time, however, the balance was different…

Jordana's voice called him out of his reverie, her words demanding an adequate reply. "I spent most of the evening in the cellar, together with this… ghost," he said. "Meanwhile, our personnel complied with my orders to get some of the rooms cleaned. They discovered some ancient furniture, parts of which might still be to good purpose." He gave her a once over, quite aware of the probable statement he made by doing so. "Unfortunately, the chaise does not fulfil these requirements." He preferred not to think of Howard again, because right now he had the idea that, given the state he was in, he was even prone to experience a hint of bad mood, and that might be too much for both of them.

"May I show you what they have achieved so far," he said while leading Jordana towards the nearest door. "Due to their upbringing and training, our employees have an exquisite taste as well as the strength and swiftness to be most efficient." The door opened to a sparsely furnished hall that had been the ballroom in former times and was adorned with mirrors on every wall, some of which were not quite blind yet. Apart from that, there was no furniture, but the whole room, including the brittle parquet floor, had been cleaned.

The chandelier was gone, displaced by a light bulb in a holder, but as they had no electricity yet, someone had placed a triple candlestick on the mantelpiece. The candle light reflected here and there, bathing the huge room in a soft light and making Jordana's hair look as if it glowed, soft and golden. Whatever Sebastien was about to say, he suddenly did not feel like talking. He turned towards her and touched one of her locks, staring at it with a clouded expression. Recalling the conclusion to which he had come and finding the moment quite right to do so now, he closed his hand around Jordana's arm and squeezed – much harder than necessary. It was all a matter of technique, and he assumed it would please her.

* * *

_To be continued... _


	19. Chapter 19

_Easter Surprise! ;o) The last two chapters, neatly posted one by one. Have fun, and thank you all for your interest.  
_

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_For disclaimer please see chapter 1_

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Chapter 19

Jordana was ready for a polite, if cool description of Sebastien's night supervising the ghouls in their pursuit of cleaning the house. Instead she was surprised when he told her he'd spent the better part in the cellar with their ghost while the staff managed by themselves. They had been standing in front of the couch Jordana had so recently occupied with the boys, and Bastien gave her a sidelong look as he commented that this particular piece was beyond saving. Maybe so, but the blond had found it quite convenient.

Bastien, ever the gentleman, offered to show her the rest as he took Jordana's arm leading her through the door. They moved gracefully into the next room, the blonde listening as her companion explained the training his people received and therefore the reason things were so much improved in such a short time…even while he entertained the spirit. Jordana just barely stopped herself from asking if the girl shared the same coldness she knew lived inside Bastien. But they were having a pleasant moment and who was she to ruin it with catty comments.

And then they walked into the large, empty room. Soft candle light reflected a million times in the mirrors around the room, and had Jordana been of the breathing kind, her breath would have been stolen away. Yes, it was just a room…void of all decoration. Plain even. But even in its current state there was something grand about it. And if that wasn't enough of a surprise the girl felt her companion turn toward her raising a hand to trace a finger over strands of golden hair. Jordana saw the unfocused look in Sebastien's dark eyes, and her lips parted to speak. Whatever might have been spoken never made it out as she felt the grip tighten on her arm, then grow painful. A frown creased her brows, as she tried to pull away, "What the hell are you doing, Bastien?' She didn't realize that he was trying to give her what he thought she wanted. Out of the context of pain during pleasure, Jordana being so new to the concept hadn't connected it in her mind as she began to panic.

ooo

The curious way she talked to him in addition to the extraordinary feelings she transmitted were evidence enough for Sebastien to recognize that he had done something that, in spite of his estimations, she did not like. Maybe she was only distressed by the promptness of his action, or because she had not expected him to perform that way at all. He would have to talk to his father in order to enquire as to this unfamiliar state of affairs. Of course, he let go of her arm immediately. With a polite bow, he took a step back and said, "I do apologize, Miss Jordana." After that, he could not discern what to do or say subsequently.

However, there was something else that confused him considerably. The strange fact presented itself to him that he did not enjoy to see her look at him like that. She had taunted him before, he knew enough to be able to tell that, and she had been angry every now and then, and all this had been quite easy to tolerate, but never before had she looked at him with this particular expression of fear; not that he could remember, at any rate. Once more, this was a concept utterly new to Sebastien. Never before had he cared if anybody feared him or not. This time, though, everything was different, and he did care. He did not want her to fear him. Highly peculiar.

He was about to say something he regarded as soothing, when suddenly the penetrating scream of this unspeakable ghost was ringing out once more. If he was not mistaken, this time the wailing came from above. He remembered having seen his father saunter off with Jamie towards the staircase, and for a moment he wondered whether Juan was still with her. At any rate, the old man would know how to deal with it. When the sound finally died off, all Sebastien said was, "By all means." He was still standing there in front of Jordana, and things were obviously not improving.

ooo

As soon as the words were out of her mouth Sebastien relaxed his hold, even dropping her arm. With a quick bow the dark haired vampire apologized, hiding behind the polite facade like he'd snapped a door closed. Although maybe not quite as tightly shut as before.

When Bastien didn't immediately say anything, the fear in Jordana's eyes softened, and she sighed. "It's alright," she said aloud at the same moment the piercing scream of the ghost cut through the mansion deafening their ears to everything except the shrill sound. Forgotten from the blonde's mind were the words she was going to speak, and instead her blue eyes swept upward toward the ceiling.

As suddenly as it cut through the silence, the scream cut off. Jordana looked at Bastien as he spoke, not really understanding what he meant by the comment. "What do you suppose is wrong now?" The young vampire looked around finally noticing Juan had disappeared, and remembering what had occurred with the first scream. "Bastien? Where is Juan?" Worry entered her gaze as she looked from her companion to the ceiling, then back. "I think... we should..." she was already turning out of the ballroom, "find him... now." Jordana didn't bother looking over her shoulder, assuming Bastien would be right behind her, considering how protective he was of his father.

ooo

While the fair-haired lady was already moving towards the staircase, Sebastien remained standing stock still in the centre of the room. It was not the scream itself, but the wave of unadulterated and unrefined sentiment that washed over him through the bond he shared with Juan that immobilized him literally, no less than for a few seconds. Whatever it was that had made Jamie scream like this, he could sense that his father was in immediate danger. And he felt something else, too. It was a kind of despair he had not experienced before, and although it seemed to have its source in his father's mind, Sebastien could not tell whether it actually derived from there, or from an alien presence. It alarmed him even more.

He managed to compose himself, turned on his heels and hurried to follow Jordana upstairs. He found her standing in the doorway to one of the deserted rooms, and he also saw his father. The ghost he had already expected to hover over his father like a vulture, was in fact nowhere to be seen. And yet, the sight that opened to him was rather a pitiable one. Juan was standing in one corner, leaning against the wall, with his eyes unfocused and his whole deportment that of a defeated man. Just when he entered the room, Sebastien heard him call out his name.

He put his hand on Jordana's shoulder in order to keep her from drawing near Juan, but he did so in a surprisingly affectionate manner. She was part of the family now, in a manner of speaking, and he did not want to distress her any more than he had already done. "Father," he said while approaching Juan. "I am right here. What on earth has befallen you?"

ooo

Upon hearing Sebastien's voice, Juan looked up and realized that his son was standing in front of him. There was another presence, and although every movement still hurt and his mind felt strangely hollow, he turned his head and recognized Jordana in the doorway. Immediately, he pulled himself up as far as he managed and endeavoured a sarcastic smile, such as was his standard, but he was well aware that it did not look very convincing.

He laughed, in contrast to his usual melody a harsh and frail sound that reverberated from the walls in a tiny echo before it died. "I touched her," he said. "And she seemed to suck all energy right out of me." He shook his head and looked at his son out of bloodshot eyes. "Bastien," he went on. "No me encuentro bien. Ayudame." He stretched out his left arm, shaking slightly, and held on to Sebastien's shoulder. Sebastien did not draw back. Quite the opposite, he immediately put his hand under Juan's arm to support him. He shrugged off his jacket and carelessly let it fall onto the dusty floor, the tie and shirt followed in a similarly slapdash fashion. It was all he could do to save his clothes from getting stained, because in the next moment Juan had already plunged his teeth into his neck and was greedily drinking from him.

There they were, father and son, lost in time and space, reliving the bond and all they had shared before, such a long time ago. Again and again, Juan thought that he was sorry: for the life he had offered Bastien, for the change, for what he had done. And he could also feel that it did not matter, that the blood bond they shared was as potent as it could ever be, and Sebastien's loyalty unbroken. For all this, Juan was unutterably grateful. As soon as he felt his powers come back to him, he let go of his precious boy, yet remained standing there, locked in a mutual embrace.

He rested his head on Sebastien's shoulder. "Thank you," he said, simple as that. With the new life energy so generously offered by his son, he finally came back to his senses, too, and he noticed that Jordana was still somewhere nearby. "Ah yes," he said, now his old sarcastic self, "I hope you liked our little personal drama." He picked up Sebastien's clothes and handed them to him with a nonchalant smile while already walking towards her.

ooo

Hollow footsteps on the stairs behind her let Jordana know Sebastien was coming up after her. She had stopped in the open doorway, when he finally caught up, and before the blond could move into the room she felt his hand on her shoulder. It was a softer gesture than she would have expected from the younger man, and in fact was comforting in the face of what she saw.

Jordana, out of her element, was more than happy to let Bastien take control. It's what he was so good at. She watched as he approached Juan, and actually winced as the older vampire straightened, trying to maintain his normal nonchalant manner. It was hard to watch him so weakened. When he told Bastien what had happened, Jordana's blue eyes swung around the room, watchful of the fiend that had almost been his undoing. But it seemed the ghost was truly gone…at least for the moment.

When her gaze swung back, Sebastien was already supporting his father with one arm and undressing himself with the other. Jordana was the lone witness when Juan sunk his fangs into Bastien's neck, the two lost in the embrace and oblivious to all else. It was a beautiful sight to the blonde and made her homesick for her own lost sire. Even when he'd finished, Juan seemed reluctant to move away from his childe, instead he rested his head on the younger vampire's shoulder for some minutes.

But like all things it slowly came to an end, and Juan looked up at the girl hovering in the background. "_Ah yes……I hope you liked our little personal drama_." he handed Bastien his clothes, then strolled toward her. Jordana putting on a pleased, sexy little smile to cover the bittersweet memories of her own, spoke, "And how could I not? Two beautiful men locked in the ultimate embrace…for my viewing pleasure…Makes me jealous to have only watched."

ooo

The harm the cute little ghost had done, willingly or not, was alarming, however the memories of its effect were sweeter once seen from behind. The idea was almost amusing that Juan had never experienced anything like this before. This alone made the whole peculiar incident remarkable, and singularly attractive. As a man who had had to fear for his unlife for the better part of his existence (and quite rightfully so), the risk of final death was not really threatening, nay! it even bore a certain thrill. He still shivered with the aftermath of both pain and quick recuperation, only to realize that Sebastien once again could easily have killed him, but had not.

This boy was so precious to him. Precious, loyal little boy… He also remembered, among the pleasurable things that happened during the embrace, the great sadness that had overcome him for a second or two, and again, he would have given his evil soul to find out what it was that had brought about this confound change in the boy's attitude, those many decades ago. Because, if truth be told, Sebastien had not been that way from the very beginning. True, he had been shy and quiet, somewhat secluded in his own little world, and maybe his fascination with death was somewhat appalling. But that had stayed within certain limits…

Once, Sebastien was still little, Juan came back home from a longer journey, and he had immediately noticed that something had happened to his boy. It must have been something that Javier had done, and that night and ever since, Juan knew that something about his son had changed. Even when they shared the most intimate bond vampires can possibly share, and their relation was as affectionate as Sebastien could ever manage, Juan's perception was limited to what Sebastien saw and felt. As the boy never knew what had happened to him, neither could Juan. It was foolish to even consider asking Javier.

Jordana's voice once more got him out of his musings. He looked at her, his eyes still filled with affection for his son, and in spite of her effort, her bittersweet smile mirrored his own. He realized that she had been lost in her own thoughts, just like himself, and he appreciated her endeavour to play down the emotions these thoughts must have stirred. "You are welcome to join us, my dear," he said, cocking his eyebrow. "But maybe we should wait for a better opportunity, combined with a more appropriate furniture and my humble self in a… more favourable condition."

His eyes flicked towards Sebastien for the fracture of a moment, just to make sure that the boy was his old composed self. "Well, this incident was most enlightening, I daresay," he then said and chuckled. He took Jordana's hand and kissed it, then gracefully led her out into the corridor. There, he stopped to look around before he moved towards the staircase. "I do not think that she will be back tonight. As far as I can tell, she looked royally pissed when she finally retreated." He heard Sebastien cough softly behind him, but it only made him laugh. "What is more," he said over his shoulder. "I am convinced that Bastien will know how to deal with her."

ooo

Extraordinary as it might seem, Sebastien was content, and exceedingly so. He would have had justification to be worried, yet he was not. Quite the converse: he had gained the conviction that he finally knew how to handle matters of a certain emotional quality, and especially those regarding his father. What is more, he had witnessed that Jordana could in fact be thrown, whereas he, Sebastien, had merely acted. The revelation that he apparently was Juan's sole saviour greatly contributed to his singularly pleased and tranquil state of mind.

"I will," he replied in his usual sombre tone of voice, yet with a peculiar softness, as if he had to explain the whole affair to a child, "take care of our business as well as of the compounds, just as you aspire, father." He slowly lowered his eyelids to a half blink and cast a quick glance at Jordana, indicating clearly enough that he intended to take care of the lady, too. Experience had taught him to do so in similar situations during the centuries of their mutual business and private unlife, yet never before had the outlook been as rewarding as this time. And even if he had not yet found out how to handle Jordana, this would be something he looked forward to working at.

The ghost, now, that was an entirely different affair. "What about the… translucent object?" he ventured, trying not to mention anything that might call her back. "I wonder what unfortunate event has led to its hostile behaviour." They were still standing on the first steps of the staircase. Sebastien had to keep himself from constantly looking around, just in case the spectre might return, in spite of Juan's words, and so his glance went from Juan to Jordana, slowly changing back and forth. Of course, if his father said that she would not come back this night, who was he to argue. He did, however, wonder what the ghost might do to Jordana. If truth be said, he did not at all like the idea of her getting harmed.

ooo

Juan's comment about the lack of accommodations along with his facial expression helped bring the blond's mood back from it possible downward spiral. Jordana knew that most likely even if offered what Juan was hinting at, Bastien would find some reason to decline. It just didn't seem to be in the man's nature to enjoy immortal life. And she thought it quite a pity and waste.

Jordana smiled at the bent head as Juan gave her hand a quick brush of his lips before leading her out of the room. They stopped at the head of the stairs, and Jordana's expression changed to a more serious one as Juan suggested that the ghost wouldn't appear again tonight. "_What is more, I am convinced that Bastien will know how to deal with her_." She heard Sebastien behind them agree to handle things, then ask about the ghost, and couldn't stop herself from saying, "How can you ask Bastien to take care of that creature? After what she did to you? Will you be happy, Juan, if she hurts him too…because I won't be." Damn these men for their male posturing…as if they could handle anything and walk away from it.

Slipping her arm free of her companion Jordana finished descending the stairs, and twirled around to look up at the pair of men. "Maybe Howard had it right. Maybe we should just leave, although I know that you, Juan, won't because she intrigues you…and you, Bastien, won't because it's your duty to take care of everything." The blond gave them a little huff, and swung back around, calling loudly, "Rafe…Rrr…afe."

In seconds the young human was skidding to a stop beside her, and Jordana gave him a smile, "Come keep me company outside…until these… boys decide what they want to do." Jordana wound an arm around the young man, and as they turned, she looked over her shoulder giving the men on the stairs an evil little smirk. She had no doubt that they wouldn't keep her waiting for too long.

ooo

When Jordana slipped out of Juan's arm with her usual youthful fervour, he chuckled softly and watched her hurry down the stairs. He loved the way she moved and talked, this lackadaisical fearlessness. In a way, it made him feel young again. Upon her words, a knowing smile playing around his thin lips was the only response. Standing at the foot of the staircase, he felt Sebastien behind him, and he could imagine what his son had in mind even without reading it. "Let her go," he said and raised his hand. "You can tell her all about it later, when she has calmed down. Ibi semper victoria est, ubi est concordia."

At Jordana's shouting, Juan saw Raphael appear as if by magic - and as if he actually belonged to the girl, and not to his master. The aspect made the vampire frown for a moment, but he did not feel like blaming anyone right now. In fact, the whole incident had made him feel weary, depressed even, and although he tried to regain his familiar air of carelessness, the merriness he displayed was no more than a poor façade. "What a pretty couple they are, no es," he said, playing his feelings down, but instead of waiting for a reply, he stepped into the hall, looking around, uncertain what to do next. Involuntarily, he once again started sucking on the red stone in his ring.

Juan closed his eyes when he felt Sebastien's hand on his shoulder. Whatever he displayed, he could never fool his son. The only thing he could do, however, was take up the thread and lead the conversation. "The translucent thing, as you so nicely put it," he said, "seemed to feed on the darkest emotions from the abyss of my tortured soul." He turned around to look Sebastien into his handsome face, and the concern in the boy's eyes was genuine. Overwhelmed by a spontaneous wave of affection, Juan caressed Sebastien's cheek, leaning in so that their foreheads touched. "She might possibly never harm you that much," he said. "I cannot be sure, of course, but I believe… I just believe you will be safe." It was more than that: he dearly hoped he was right.

Now this was not leading anywhere, and Jordana and Raphael had already left the house. Tearing himself away from his son and this stupid passion, Juan put on a more relaxed mien, and jovially patting his son's shoulder while walking past him, he followed the happy couple outside. When he spotted them on the parking, he gave a fine, while not really genuine laughter. "Now look at this," he said, realizing that his accent was slightly heavier than usual. "You two look like you could need a change of air. How about the three of us pay my foreign friends another visit?"

ooo

Sebastien remained standing in the vestibule, watching his father exit. He was persistently amazed how fluently Juan managed to turn his despondency into apparent cheerfulness, and to display whatever was necessary for his purpose. And yet… The general instability of his father's mental state did not cease to trouble him. For a moment, he wondered whether it was really a good idea to let Juan leave the city without him. They had not been separated for quite a long period. But of course, Juan did not need any kind of chaperon, if truth be said, and it would be more than a sign of disloyalty if Sebastien started doubting his decisions, especially at the present.

His sensitive hearing perceived light footsteps behind him, and although he knew that the ghost would not be heard at all, he hesitated before turning around. It was Liberty, of course. As soon as he set eyes on her, she beamed up at him, however she stopped a few steps away and did not dare get any closer. Like so many times before, Sebastien marvelled at her ability to read his features without his conscious endeavour to have anything to display. Yes, it was true: under different circumstances, he would have allowed her to touch him, but right now, he did not feel like getting into contact with anyone, and he was grateful for her understanding. The feeling of contentment still stayed with him, and he did not want to spoil it by unnecessary intrusion.

"So, when will he leave?" Liberty asked softly. Sebastien looked at her for a while. Like the others, her skin had the soft and slightly moist glow of heavy exercise, and her tousled hair had been tied back quite carelessly. She was wearing rubber gloves and still holding in one hand a cloth that reeked of wood polish, and yet, all in all, she looked positively fit for consumption… Right now, though, she was not the suitable blonde girl he had in mind, and the awareness that this was so did not improve matters. Unwilling to see the look of concern in her face, he turned away. "He will leave as soon as the house is up and running," he said. Up till then, Jordana was Juan's. Would she decide to stay with him? He did not want to think any further.

ooo

Jordana in her anger, and even a bit of fear she'd never reveal, hadn't given a thought about treating Rafe as if he belonged to her. They say ignorance is bliss, and in the young blonde's case the saying fit. There hadn't been time for her Sire to teach her all but the most important etiquette of their kind. And ghouls didn't fall under life or death manners. The pair had stepped out the front door, and Jordana had led Rafe as far as the parked cars, before stopping. In a very human gesture, she let out a long breath, rubbing her neck absently. Jordana hadn't been aware just how tense the feminine spirit made her with its icy presence, but the still, balmy southern night worked it's magic on her senses letting her relax.

"You two look like you could need a change of air, maybe something romantic. How about the three of us pay our foreign friends another visit?"

The blond turned, expecting to see both men behind her. But it was only Juan walking toward them, his footsteps soft enough that had he not spoken she might not have noticed until he was closer. Even the night chirping insects weren't disturbed from their symphony by his movement. Jordana's gaze moved past the dark haired vampire, looking for his childe. "But…where is Bastien?" She blinked, moving her gaze back to Juan, then giving him a chiding look."You didn't leave him in there alone… with that creature. It didn't occur to her that he wasn't actually alone…what with the ghouls they'd brought with them.

Sighing, the blonde stepped towards her kindred companion, "Juan, I know you're……intrigued by this being, but are you sure it's safe for Sebastien to be around her? After all look what she did to you." Jordana wasn't sure she was getting through to Juan, and knew Bastien was the more serious of the two. He planned and calculated, leaving no possibility unexplored. "Let me go back and speak to him for a moment… then we can go off and do what ever amuses you." With out waiting for an answer she quickly moved across the path, and in through the front door, leaving the vampire and ghoul outside to entertain each other. "Bastien," she called, looking around the empty room.

ooo

All Juan could do was to remain standing there in front of Raphael and to watch Jordana stride towards the house once more. He chuckled softly. The girl was fresh and lovely, and her most human fits of compassion were such a nice change. For a moment, he was indecisive whether to follow her or to stay outside. Then he felt Raphael's hands on his shoulders, and sucking in a mouthful of air, he leaned back until he felt the chest of his new lover (and most probably also future companion) warm his back.

"I thought you were about to deceive me," he said mockingly, using the breath he had inhaled.

Raphael pulled him even closer. "Never, Juan. I'd never… I'd just…"

"Hush," Juan shut him up. "Do not spoil this by useless babble. I know that you will stay with me. Will you stay with me, yes?" He turned and smiled and looked at the boy for a couple of seconds. When Raphael smiled back and answered in the affirmative, Juan did not hesitate to demonstrate with hand and mouth that to stay with him was not only a wise decision, but also something to be instantly rewarded. Somehow, they managed to dispose of restricting cloth, and Raphael, proving to be a most talented pupil, soon took over. During their most intimate embrace, right there on the parking lot, between the two cars, Juan closed his eyes and once more felt carried away in space and time, just like he had felt some time before, he could not even remember when exactly, when he had shared a similar moment with Jordana, somewhere under a shower… The roles were different, then… And then again, his memories blurred, and even the sweet blonde girl was temporarily forgotten.

ooo

Admittedly, his thoughts had gone astray for a moment and purposely floated into the direction of Jordana, nevertheless Sebastien had not expected her to stand in front of him again that soon. When he heard her exclaim his name, he went towards her as if drawn by an invisible filament, leaving Liberty behind. Being thus heartlessly abandoned, the servant girl pouted, but she was sensible enough not to interfere. With a sigh, she threw the duster up in the air, caught it at an extraordinary velocity and disappeared out of sight.

Once again, Sebastien did not know what to declare. Therefore, he bowed slightly, as was his way, and cleared his throat. "Miss Jordana," he said, trying to circumvent her intent look. Something inside of him, though, was starting to feel slightly rebellious, and considerably ridiculous. They had shared the most intimate moments, had they not, and here was he, treating her like any other employee. He remembered his father's words. _"You can tell her all about it later, when she has calmed down. Ibi semper victoria est, ubi est concordia."_ 'Wherever there is peace, there is victory.'

But the moment was not right, she apparently had not calmed down yet. Consequently, he could not tell her what was weighing upon him. What he could do, though, was something he had never before (apart from the intimacy he shared with his father) done in his existence: seize her. He made a step towards her and tried his best, but of course he could not pour any passion into this embrace, because there still was none, apart from an indefinable spark. He put his arms around Jordana somewhat awkwardly, and remained standing like this, feeling slightly uneasy.

ooo

Jordana didn't spare another thought to Juan, knowing that with Rafe keeping him company they'd find something to entertain themselves. No, her thoughts were all focused on the dark haired kindred left in the house. That and the dangerous entity taking up residence in the older vampire's new property.

Sebastien seemed surprised to see the blond. It wasn't that it showed on his face, or even shadowed his stance as he stepped forward, saying her name in that oh so straight laced way of his. Jordana just felt it, but then she reminded herself, she'd been wrong before, and he might not give a damn one way or the other. Even with these thoughts fluttering through her mind, the blond was shocked when she felt his arms move tentatively around her.

Jordana pressed her face against the cool, crisp cloth of Bastien's shirt, breathing in his scent while hiding a hint of a smile. She stood that way for some minutes, allowing herself to enjoy the first real unprompted act on the man's part, her own arms sliding up his back. Finally she lifted her face, leaving her arms around him to inhibit a withdrawl, and spoke, "I was worried about Juan leaving you here...with that creature. I know you can handle..." she smoothed her hand over his back, "anything that happens, but after what she did to him..." the young vampire let her words trail off not knowing how to voice her concerns without causing Bastien to maybe withdraw.

ooo

At least she did not converse immediately. Sebastien had to force himself from drawing back when she pressed her face onto his chest, for the simple and practical fear of getting a lipstick stain. Then, however, he considered this and found it supremely idiotic to follow such an impulse. When he dared move slightly, he felt her arms crawl up his back, thus entrapping him. The sensation that washed over him was astoundingly calming this time, a mixture of familiarity and an exceptional sense of belonging. And again, Sebastien was surprised. He had shared this kind of closeness with his father only, and even then had he not felt that much at ease.

He snarled softly when Jordana finally broke the silence, but as soon as he noticed that he was about to spoil his continence, he took care to remain quiet. Whatever it was that they were sharing now, there would be no need to become vulgar. When Jordana mentioned the ghost, he took it as an excuse to disentangle himself and to look into her eyes. Even though he found said eyes most distracting right now, he had enough self-control left to be able to answer.

"The creature, yes," he said, sounding a bit like a private teacher. "Father and I exchanged a few words about that topic, and we were in agreement that most probably no steps will need to be taken there. His theory is that she feeds on the negative… aspects of our immortal souls. Consequently I will be quite safe… in contrast to father, if I dare say so."

It felt unjust, but the facts were clear: Juan had committed diablerie, actually many decades ago, and yet, even Sebastien could still discern that his soul had been blemished. And there were other things that would also weigh upon his father's conscience. Sebastien, however, was not burdened with guilt, apart from the single incident that had happened recently and would almost certainly have led to Jordana's final death, had Juan not intervened. If Juan was right, the mark for this on Sebastien's cheek would remain the only harm the ghost could ever have done him; whereas she could surely kill Juan.

"Father would do well to leave me here with her," Sebastien said. "And he should refrain from entering this house again, if he wants to stay unharmed." To him, the matter was settled. Juan had wanted to leave anyway, sooner or later, and Sebastien just hoped the ghost would not molest any guests. He would find a means to entertain her in order to find the middle ground, and maybe she would even want to bargain. "Well," he added, "there is no need for him to enter the house once more, and he will surely prefer to stay in his own apartment, where our business meetings will take place."

ooo

Jordana knew it was too good to last, and she sighed when Bastien finally disengaged himself from her arms. She was proud of the fact that he'd embraced her in the first place...something she knew he wouldn't have done days ago. And well small steps were better then no steps.

"The creature, yes...Father and I exchanged a few words about that topic, and we were in agreement that most probably no steps will need to be taken there. His theory is that she feeds on the negative… aspects of our immortal souls. Consequently I will be quite safe… in contrast to father, if I dare say so."

The blond raised an eyebrow, which went unnoticed by her companion. 'Because you never do anything fun enough to stain any part of that lily white body,' And he would have liked her thoughts even less, not getting the joke. He peered earnestly into her eyes, as he spoke so seriously about Juan leaving him here to handle things.

"Bastien, please tell me what good is a property that the owner can't even enter for fear of his immortal life? I know this wasn't to be a haven...but Juan never did tell me what he wanted it for. And if he doesn't come back here...does that mean..." She couldn't resist reaching forward and running a slim hand down the front of his tailored shirt, knowing that it got under his skin, "we won't be seeing each other very often? Because even though I'm still a tiny bit angry with you, I wouldn't want not to get to...see you any more.

ooo

This time, the contact went through and through him once again, sending strange signals down his spinal column and up his jawbone. He tried labouring around it and hardly managed to think as structured as usual under the given circumstances. Wondering about her words, he realized that Juan must have mentioned something to her, but of course had left out the crucial details.

"You are mistaken," he said. "This residence will indeed be a haven, but it will not be his. In fact, it will be mine." Resistant to any kind of emotional alteration on her part, due to the still unusual condition which implied that he was thoroughly occupied with unfamiliar signals on his part, which in turn made thinking clearly and in a structured manner a so much more complicated process, Sebastien went on talking without actually paying attention. "A residence as huge as this one will not serve the purpose of becoming my haven only, of course. It will also be used for hosting our ghouls, the newcomers as well, and to provide enough space for our business."

He paused momentarily and, looking at her, gathered that she was indeed entirely clueless. Thus, he continued explaining. "You should know that father has come to this city not to set up a business, but to expand it, and it might well be that he will not stay here… constantly. Whereas I will." He looked at Jordana expectantly, not sure how she would take it. He had gathered so far that her feelings went in both directions, but he dearly hoped she would not make a scene. "I should not speak on his behalf, of course," he thus hastened to add. "I have no doubt that he will talk to you about it… Well, anyway, it is up to you. As long as my business does not offend you, you may stay with me whenever you wish."

He was himself astounded that he managed yet another hesitant smile.

ooo

"You are mistaken...This residence will indeed be a haven, but it will not be his. In fact, it will be mine." Blue eyes rose in disbelief at her companions words. It had never occured to her that Juan would gift his son in such a manner. Could that mean that Bastien planned on staying here in Miami? But then his next words confused her, and a slight frown creased her brow. The blond was about to ask what business, but Sebastien was still speaking.

"You should know that father has come to this city not to set up a business, but to expand it, and it might well be that he will not stay here… constantly. Whereas I will." Jordana found herself growing angry. How dare Juan be planning on leaving without saying anything to her? And then she realized, that it was more out of habit than real emotion, and she took a steadying breath. It was as she calmed that the blonde also noticed the small bit of guilty pleasure that Bastien would be remaining. Her companion was still speaking, and Jordana returned her attention to the dark haired vampire in time to hear the last, "As long as my business does not offend you, you may stay with me whenever you wish."

Well now that was a surprise. Bastien actually inviting her any time she wanted, to come. "And just what business will you be involved in that might offend me?" Jordana wanted to press herself against him again, but feared that too much close contact would chase him back into that perfect, empty shell he adopted whenever things were too much not to his liking.

* * *

_To be continued... _


	20. Chapter 20

_For disclaimer please see chapter 1 _

* * *

Chapter 20

He should have seen it coming all the way, however he was not entirely prepared for this. Sebastien did not deem himself able to feel anything approximating indignity, and yet, with the appearance of Jordana at the threshold of his soul, matters seemed to be alarmingly changing. To continue this sorry metaphor, he was unable to tell what might happen if he let her in. If truth be told, he also found himself completely unable to infer anything from it. He had hardly ever dared look, and the one glimpse he had cast in that fateful night was not essentially encouraging. It would thus be best to wait and see.

He felt Jordana hesitate, and this time he instantly knew that she was holding back for his own benefit. Sebastien appreciated this. One embrace per night was perfectly tolerable, yet one should not overexert matters. Moreover, he needed some local distance to be able to explain at least some of the news to her, even though he did not feel compelled to do anything about the feasible resentments she harboured against his father.

He knew plenty of diplomacy, but presently he recognized that the plain truth would be easiest and best. "It is to be a brothel," he thus said. "Father owns a chain with branches all over the country, and I will have the honour to lead the Miami branch." Sebastien was not entirely aware of the ostensible incongruity between his occupation and his own disposition. He had grown up with the business, and as he did not know anything better than this one, he merely regarded it like any other service industry that needed to be organized, managed and expanded.

ooo

Jordana let her eyes wander around the entry, where she and Sebastien were standing. But her mind's eye saw all the other rooms she'd been in. "Yes, the house fits. I can't say I'm surprised by Juan's type of business. It certainly fits him..." she paused not saying the obvious '...but not you...'

She stopped talking, letting the silence lengthen between them aware that Bastien was not the type to break it with inconsequential chatter. And for a change Jordana was grateful that he was so quiet. In a few minutes she'd managed to put her thoughts together, and spoke, "I know you thought I'd be angry to find out Juan plans on leaving... and for a second I almost was. But he isn't a man to be tethered in one place. I sense his restlessness, and know until he finds what he's looking for he'll never be totally happy. But I'm sure he'll be back."

The blond let her gaze move over her companion, noticing with a faint smile at how stiff he held himself. That was going to take work, but she had plenty of time. "And of course I'll have your company... since you offered." Jordana chuckled, figuring Bastien was already regretting his invitation. A little illicit business wasn't going to put her off...on the contrary it might be interesting to see how Sebastien handled such a carnal trade. Looking over her shoulder at the front door, the girl added, "I suppose I shouldn't keep Juan waiting much longer. I-I just wanted to make sure you weren't in any danger from that creature." It was the closest she was going to get to confessing she cared about his well-being.

ooo

It was almost alarming to discover that this extraordinary woman had such an outstanding insight not only to know his father so well, but also to be wise enough to respect his needs. Sebastien discerned a strange feeling in the area of his guts regarding this discovery. One the one hand, there was something not unlike pleasure that she took the news so well and even cared about Juan, whom Sebastien himself cherished and admired. On the other hand, there was something else, equally new, something he could only call a slight repugnance, for lack of experience and a better word. The better word would doubtlessly have been jealousy, but as Sebastien had never before experienced anything like love, he also lacked the understanding for trivial feelings like this one.

His resentments immediately tumbled when he heard Jordana utter her concern for his own well-being. He even raised his eyebrows in surprise. He would never have imagined that someone would want to care for him, and as a matter of fact, he had always been able to care for himself, in addition also for his father, hence the need had actually never arisen. As he did not know what to answer, he cleared his throat and nodded politely.

"Pray do so," he then said as a reaction to her announcement. "I started to wonder, too, what he…" His voice trailed off, one of the rare occasions it did, for he immediately realized that he knew too well what had kept Juan so long. Anyway, he assumed that the air was clear now, and he watched Jordana stride outside.

ooo

When Juan surfaced again from between the cars, closely followed by Raphael, he knew that he finally and with certainty wanted to take the boy with him. He also knew that he would eventually turn him into one of his childer, even though he had only known him for a couple of nights. They would spend enough nights together to manifest this decision. Right now, the blood bond was established, thus ensuring a life-long connection, and should he change his mind in the end, Rafe would always be useful in business; if anything, Juan was convinced of that now.

They did not need words. They arranged each other's clothes in a kind of dreamy and utterly satisfied unison that was beyond common conversation. True, their hair had reached a tousled condition, but they did not think about it. In fact, it made them look almost alike, now that they both had it hanging loosely, and Juan did not even care to look for the ribbon. Apart from that, when they were in a more or less decent state again, Raphael kissed the back of Juan's hand to show his – admittedly not completely voluntary, yet welcome submission. Just when he did so, they both heard Jordana approaching them, the sound of her shoes making an obscenely loud crunching noise in the formerly otherworldly silence of this fateful night.

ooo

When she stood outside framed by the open doorway, Jordana blew Bastien a kiss. It was a teasing gesture, meant to fluster him a bit, besides she knew only he could see her at the moment. Then she quickly turned before he could react, and with her laugh floating across the hush of the night moved off toward the cars.

Jordana came into view, a smile playing on her lips as she plotted her next move designed to drive Sebastien crazy. The smile grew the closer she got to the pair of men. One eyebrow shot up seeing the tousled hair they both sported, and the new creases their clothing had. "I see you two entertained each other while I was gone..." the blond took Rafe's hand in hers, but leaned over to kiss Juan, "...and didn't even wait for me. But I'll forgive you."

After her affectionate greeting Jordana moved to the passenger door of the car, "So... have you decided what we'll do now?"

ooo

Deeply engrossed, Sebastien gazed after her. When she made this fairly inappropriate gesture of blowing him a kiss, he felt caught in the act of staring. What is more, he even felt inclined to twist the corners of his lips into a curt smile, but he turned away immediately after that. And as he looked back into the hall, he saw the ghost float in the middle of it. On cue, he bowed politely, suppressing his concern. Ah well, the object was there, and he would have to deal with it constantly. Whatever it might do next, it would do no harm to retain at least the basics of chivalry.

As before, Jamie seemed to appreciate Sebastien's courteous manners. As soon as she realized that she had his complete attention, she endeavoured to make her feet touch the floor, or at least appear to do so, then approached him, partly floating, partly moving her legs as if she was walking. "I've been watching you," she said. "You and this… lady." She showed her displeasure, which was actually quite a pretty sight, apart from the fact that the pout was as translucent as the rest of her – and that it could always be the prelude to another wailing concert.

Sebastien felt impelled to bow once more. "My lady," he said. "I can assure you that the relationship between me and my business partners, however it might present itself to you, does not in any way detract from the affiliation you and I hopefully are about to establish. I acknowledge that, although we did acquire this mansion lawfully, you have all rights to regard yourself as the rightful owner, or in the very least a legitimate resident." He finished his small speech with a third bow, then he patiently waited for her response.

The ghost seemed intrigued. Her tiny finger pressed to her lips, she ardently listened to him, blinking several times, and finally she answered. "You are different from your father," she said. "He is not your father. I will have to think about what you said." And thus, she floated away. Sebastien followed her with his eyes, and he was almost taken aback by the unexpected lack of noise. Her petite frame glided up towards one of the old canvases showing a country scene, and there she disappeared. Sebastien refrained from searching for her in the painting, in case he might find her there.

ooo

Once again enlightened by the simplicity of her merriness and straightforwardness, Juan kissed her back. "I know that you like the taste of us both, so I promptly provided it," he said in an equally cheerful manner. "And we had… important things to discuss while you were involved in… talking to my son." He wondered whether Sebastien had told her all about it. In her happy-go-lucky manner, Jordana seemed to be also a master in disguising other sentiments, like contemplation - or maybe even reproach.

But whatever other feelings she might harbour, she would not show them right now, and he would certainly not ask her about it. He took in the charming sight of Raphael and Jordana holding hands like two lovebirds and to his utter satisfaction realized that Raphael was still gazing at him in his newly won and final state of awe. Yes, there would come a night when Rafe was to be the one sitting in the front row, and what a lovely replacement he would be, once Sebastien was – quite literally - off the umbilical cord.

"We will drive to the Gypsies' camp once more," Juan answered. "I require something of them, and I dearly hope that they have not deserted us yet." He inclined his head, and Rafe let go of Jordana's hand and slipped inside the car, onto the back seat. Following on an impulse, Juan caught Jordana's hand, kissed it and pulled her towards him. "Afterwards, my dear, there will be nothing on earth that may keep me from making up for the past few nights. And I am positive that Raphael will surely want to be with us."

ooo

Jordana thoroughly enjoyed the kiss before Juan pulled back, telling her he and Rafe had, had important things to discuss. "I'll just bet you did," she laughed fully aware of what they'd been doing. "Bastien was as always politely patient with my worries over the ghost...and so I left him to what ever it is he's doing." She gave a shrug to the dark haired vampire, but didn't expand on the enlightening conversation she'd shared with his son. Time enough later.

Juan continued answering her question about where they'd head next, wrinkling her nose at the reminder of the gypsy camp. There wasn't much the blond vampiress was afraid of, but they creeped her out, especially the way they'd totally ignored them the last time they visited. Jordana sighed, "If we have to," then turned to follow Rafe. However before she could move Juan had grasped her hand giving it a gallant kiss as he pulled her close. "Afterwards, my dear, there will be nothing on earth that may keep me from making up for the past few nights. And I am positive that Raphael will surely want to be with us."

Looking up through her lashes, the blond gave her companion a sultry smile, "No rest for the wicked, I suppose." She knew eventually they were going to have to discuss the information Bastien had let slip, but she planned on waiting until Juan brought it up.

ooo

Juan playfully touched with his lips the soft skin over her collar bone, then licked his way up and rested his teeth on her neck, thus reminding of the little incident that had happened between her and Sebastien some nights ago. But in contrast to his son, he did not even graze the skin, of course. Instead, he chuckled softly and shook his head, then pulled back until he could look into her eyes. "No rest for the wicked, indeed. And no blood loss this time."

He had noticed the slight change in her when he mentioned the Gypsies, but go there he had to, and Raphael would surely help Jordana pass the time. "We will not stay for long, if you do not want that," he said, somewhat disappointed. He recalled having spent a fabulous first night with her there, after their first intimacies, and with the outcome that they stayed together for the day. He could not possibly grasp the apprehension she had, for he had known those people for too long to think anything bad or strange of their ways. He appreciated, though, that she told him her mind.

Sitting down in his car, Juan looked into the rear mirror and caught Raphael's glance. Both men exchanged a long look, bathing in silence and a mutual understanding that was as close to love as it could get. Then, with a pang, Juan tore himself lose and looked at Jordana. Once more, he realized that he did feel quite the same for her, and the sentimental mood he was in, he even felt close to telling her. In spite of this honourable intention, he merely opened and closed his mouth, then patted her knee and switched on the engine.

What could he possibly tell her? That he felt something not unlike love whenever he set eyes on her? That he would have liked to ask her to accompany him when he left the city, but knew that it was an utterly stupid idea? That he knew she favoured Bastien, and that this knowledge stirred quite complementary feelings inside of him? He backed the TransAm out, switching gears roughly, and rushed out onto the road. When he dared another glance into the mirror, he saw that Raphael was watching him. The boy smiled almost wisely. When Juan nodded slightly, Rafe put his hand on Jordana's shoulder and said, "I'm excited. I want to know all about those Gypsies, I've never met one of them before. Would you tell me while Juan does what he has to do?"

ooo

Juan kept concentrating on the sparse night traffic, looking over his slim white hands into the night, while behind him the conversation between Jordana and his presently favourite underling went on and on. Every now and then, he looked into the mirror in order to catch Raphael's glance, and the gleam in the boy's eyes made him smile. They were so young, both of them, and the liveliness of their exchange would, to the average bystander, not have allowed to draw any conclusions as to either of them being undead or on at least well the way.

He directed his eyes towards the road again. The chatter from the rear seat washed over him like a soft acoustic rain, spiced by the occasional moaning and rustling sounds. He could have intervened, of course, in order to disaccustom Rafe from the girl, but then again, they were so nice to look at, and when they finally had to say good-bye, there would be enough time for Rafe to get used to existing without her. Juan would see to it that there were ways of distraction Rafe could not resist.

Fortunately, the Romani camp was still there. Well, it had been only a couple of nights since they had paid them their first visit, was it not, and the times were changing. Nowadays, so it seemed, the Gypsies had no more reason to move as rapidly and as frequently as back then, in the so-called good old times. The memory of Francine's family brought the familiar pang of guilt, but it passed without lingering.

It came to pass that Juan was the only one to walk to the camp after parking the car. He left the two lovebirds back in the car, and even without the prelude that had been going on for quite some time, he could vividly imagine what they would be doing while he was away. To his utter satisfaction, however, Raphael asked his permission to stay with Jordana, and he even turned to look after Juan until his master had disappeared in the darkness before he allowed the girl to distract him once more.

This time, probably also due to his approaching alone, the exchange between the Chovihany and him was short and easy. Juan paid a ridiculously high price for the essence, but there was no price too high for him to stay in business contact with the tribe, and at the same time make a good deal with the Nosferatu. When he came back to the car, he found both his friends still on the rear seat, happily intertwined, and without further notice, Juan slipped behind the steering wheel, slammed the door shut and drove out of the camp again.

Only shortly afterwards, Jordana's and Raphael's tousled heads appeared in the mirror. "I take it you're enjoying yourselves greatly," Juan commented. "Please do not let me keep you from anything you were just about to complete." He chuckled softly at the expression on their faces, and when his friends complied to his offer, he merely accelerated the car, moving back towards the city.

The situation called back memories: he had been driving them around before, both Jordana and Raphael on the rear seat, and he had enjoyed listening to them just as well. To Juan, it seemed like a decade since he had come to know Jordana, but in fact it had only been a few nights before. In-between, though, so much had happened. Among other things, there had been the Marie incident, which tended to thoroughly blur his concept of time, and then, Jordana had joined the circle of Sebastien's friends, coming off as number one. Juan smiled again, this time slightly cynically, when he recalled how his son was dealing with this new way of existing, and how Jordana had betrayed him with his own childe even before they had been truly madly and whatever else they were supposed to be.

Suddenly, Juan knew what he had to do. Before they hit the road to Miami, he stopped, turned and once more drove to Las Olas. The situation on the rear seat did not afford any explanations, as they were both deeply involved in the usual stuff - and delightfully so, considering the fact that it would be the last time they ever met. They would know where he was taking them as soon as they heard the familiar sound of the gravel.

As he had anticipated, Sebastien was waiting for them at the front door, patiently leaning against a pillar. It seemed to be the most natural thing on earth that Juan would come back to leave Jordana behind with him. The farewell was short, almost formal. For a moment, Juan considered warning his son to take good care of the girl, but then again, there was no need to do so. The way Sebastien looked at her, the way his otherwise adamant features softened, if only for the fraction of a second, told so much more than words.

Raphael stayed by Juan's side, and once Jordana had moved to Sebastien, he seemed not inclined to pay her any further attention. He looked proud and gorgeous, his skin already slightly paler, but maintaining its café-au-lait glow, gleaming in the moonlight, and when Juan looked at him, he shook his curls back and flashed him a smile. "Time for us to go," Juan said.

"Yes, sire," Raphael answered.

Juan took Rafe's hand, and they walked back to the car in unison. Before he entered the TransAm, he felt the strong scent of lavender waft over from the house, but he did not turn to look at Jamie. It was good. She was staying there with Sebastien and Jordana, guarding them, and the business would flourish without him. He had no intention to ever come back to Miami, at least no within the next decades. Miami would probably not cease to exist as long as Sebastien was keeping an eye on it, and the few nights had been much more fun than he had expected it to be; in fact, they had truly been nights of surprises.

ooooo

Epilog 

Dear father,

It has been several years since you departed from the city. Your Nosferatu associate was so kind to discover your new address to me, and according to the sparse information I received, corresponding with your lack of contact, I presume you and Raphael are well.

The business has been prospering continuously ever since our inaugural ceremony, and in addition, I can tell, not without pride, that my influence over the city has been growing ever since, allowing me to take a place that up to then did not seem properly occupied. Jordana has proved to be a most dependable and supportive companion, and I would rather prefer her to stay with me for quite some time. As far as I can tell, she is obliged to do so.

Should you intend to set foot on the grounds of this city again, you are herewith invited to do so. But please allow me remind you that I expect visitors of any kind to introduce themselves to me first place, in order to receive my approval. This also includes you, my father, as I do not make any exceptions, and I know about your capriciousness.

Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to merit the education you have given me by my amity and diligence, and thus prove to you my own well-meaning and gratitude.

Yours very truly,

Sebastien de Gers

**_THE END _**


End file.
